Woove staff writer Christian Harder reviews the hip-hop artist's latest release.

Atmosphere’s new September release, For All My Friends Blood Makes the Blade Holy (2010), is tepid. After a decade of unique beats and biting lyrics, rapper Slug and producer Ant finally have gained the respect and fame they deserve. Unfortunately, to live up to their “gritty” reputation, they’ve destroyed their sound. Like the week before junior prom, they’re trying too hard.

Forgetting raw hits like Ford and Lucy Ford (2001), God Loves Ugly (2002), and Seven’s Travels (2003), For All My Friends is over-produced and under-vocalized. The trials and tribulations of the middle-class public have been steamrolled by ignorable protest songs like “Americareful,” a mild criticism of the health care system. The two songs that remind fans of older albums, “The Major Leagues,” and “Scalp,” virtually duplicate better songs off previous albums. Worse, the title song for the album, “The Best Day,” can be attributed to Atmosphere’s emerging love for empty, feel-good lyrics. “Sunshine,” off of the group’s last official release, If Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (2008), was in the same vein.

It’s true that bros love songs about hangover remedies, but long-time fans still have headaches. In the same way, “The Best Day” makes me feel like Slug is driving me to daycare: “Everyday can’t be the best day/ Do what you can right now, don’t hesitate/ That’s why we try to make love and get paid/ Take the bad with the good, now let’s play.” Thanks Mom, but I’ve heard wasted engineers write better verse. Adding insult to injury, the song’s namesake is a popular Taylor Swift release.

If Atmosphere wants to cheer up fans, they should leave the inspirational rhyming on YouTube and take a minute to remember their roots. But to be fair and cliché, this album is better than what the radio–except WUVT–offers, and many people will enjoy Atmosphere’s return to the speakers. Ant has some solid beats and Slug hasn’t entirely lost his tongue. Still, I had the same feeling when I swapped my beater 1972 El Dorado for a Ford Taurus. The engine ran better, but it lost the throaty roar I loved. So, if you’ve jammed with Atmosphere before, it’s best to skip this disappointment. We might’ve heard everything Slug’s got to say. Maybe he should go back to his old job, pizza delivery, for a while. I’ve heard they comp gas.