DJ Shadow - The Outsider (Island)
2/5
By: Gareth Roberts
After the success of critically lauded releases such as 'Endtroducing,' 'The Private Press' and 'Brainfreeze', it's perhaps not a surprise that one such as DJ Shadow would get a little... big headed. Unfortunately for Mr Shadow (a far more sensible name), it seems that on 'The Outsider' the size of his head is now giving his bank balance a run for its money. It begins with a spoken word intro. Need I say more?
Then, as if to give us the hope that this record could be something special after all, the gloriously swoony 'This Time' steps up and the world is once again a nice place to be. Not for long though, as the unsettlingly self indulgent '3 Freaks' does little to gain the listener's confidence. Some would deem this criticism unfair, and argue that Shadow's apparent irreverence to his audience is merely the sound of an artist pushing the envelope and trying something new, and to be fair I share this point of view to a degree. However, there is a fine line between fulfilling a creative tendency and making a mockery of the people who are shelling out good money for your record. And on this offering I have to say that if he has not crossed it, he's balancing very precariously on top of it.
The record progresses with more hip hop a la Lil' Jon and 50 Cent ('Keep 'Em Close'), whilst later taking in elements of grindie / crunk, and even electro on 'Turf Dancing'. 'Broken Levee Blues', a relaxed, almost jazz-like guitar number, brings another change in pace, whilst 'Artifact', an urgent instrumental which reminds me of a lo-fi Motorhead (how's that for eclecticism!) further cements the incohesive and somewhat patchy nature of 'The Outsider'. Phonte Coleman guests on 'Backstage Girl', which again veers back to the more traditional ingredients of hip hop interspersed with a glorious guitar sound and a pounding drum beat to make one of the strongest songs so far, even with it's unnecessary break-down.
Then, something really strange happens - Kasabian's Serge Pizzorno takes to the mic for 'The Tiger', a song which sounds undeniably like Radiohead, and as if to prove that lightning really can strike twice, following track 'Erase You' shares the same influence. The changes in direction continue to come thick and fast towards the end of the record, with 'What Have I Done' being another spoken word number backed up with sweepingly ethereal vocals. 'You Made It' bounces along with all the summery feel good factor of a Special K advert, whilst 'Enuff' and 'Dats My Part' close the album with a return to the 'home ground' hip hop genre.
Overall it's a veritable jumble sale of sounds and influences. Like I said before, Shadow should be applauded for taking such a risk, but unfortunately whilst it may gain awards for bravery, it's worryingly unlikely to collect any for quality.
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