The Roots - Things Fall Apart

Arizona Daily Wildcat

There has been a lot of anticipation surrounding the latest release from hip-hop innovators The Roots, and with good reason.

The group has always been all about keeping it real - literally. Not just a bunch of MCs and DJs, The Roots are true musicians as well. They are as adept at creating jazzy soundscapes as busting rhymes.

The first single off Things Fall Apart, You Got Me, has been transfixing listeners since it first hit the air, featuring the intoxicating sound of soulstress Erykah Badu singing vocals on the chorus, building to a drum n' bass-infused climax at the end.

The rest of the album spans the whole hip-hop spectrum and beyond, stretching to include improvisational jazz, spoken-word poetry, and some old-school scratching, courtesy of the likes of DJ Jazzy Jeff. There's even a shout-out to Radiohead on one track, showing that no musical realm is off-limits to these pioneering souls.

The liner notes to the album feature explanations of each track and how it came about, providing insight into what may seem at first to be the rather eclectic nature of Things Fall Apart. It doesn't take long to realize it isn't mere eclecticism, though - it's brilliance.

- doug levy