Music and politics
Photo by ESL music. The duo of Eric Hilton, left, and Rob Garza, right, combine smooth, jazzy sounds, thumping trance tracks and exotic instrumentals with socially and politically conscious messages.
The first thing you notice when you sit down to unwrap “Radio Retaliation” is the organic casing. The CD is wrapped in primitive paper covered with bold artwork that will have you reading the lyrics the entire time the music is playing.
First impressions give the record an almighty boast. This review may or may not have been influenced by the Albert Einstein quotes on the cover.
For the record, DO NOT simply download “Radio Retaliation.” Half of the experience is in the written lyrics, otherwise incomprehensible.
Does the music live up to the wrappings? “Radio Retaliation” is undeniably groovy. The ambient beats make for the ultimate chill-out session that isn’t too intrusive as to disrupt your, say, studying. What Thievery Corporation has done is place politically-driven lyrics against trance-inducing pulsation (“I’m the president of the shadow government / The grand governor of the Federal Reserve / Public enemy of the society / the one you cannot see the 33°”).
Think the protests of the ‘60s overlapped with a luxury car ad soundtrack. The juxtaposition is a genius observation of the way Americans are given devastating news with a lollipop, but the music in and of itself is not groundbreaking.
The album goes by surprisingly fast considering there are 15 tracks to get through. Each track flows seamlessly into the next. The transitions are so seamless, in fact, that with the first couple listens it’s impossible to tell which track you’re on. There isn’t too much here, besides the lyrics, that has not been done before by other prolific electronic musicians and even Thievery Corporation themselves. If “Radio Retaliation” is your first Thievery Corporation album, you just might fall in love, but seasoned fans are likely to be disappointed.
That isn’t to say “Radio Retaliation” doesn’t carry some wonderful tracks. “Sound the Alarm” features Sleepy Wonder, whose vocals are the very definition of “cool.” “Beautiful Drug” and “La Femme Parallel” can be played again and again. Ironically, the two latter tracks are the least politically active of the bunch. Despite the unceasing synthesizer, TC manages to weave in a plethora of more exotic instruments, particularly in “Mandela.” The album is strongly inspired by soul and jazz, and the most memorable tracks emphasize those elements. Creating “Radio Retaliation” was a grand collaboration, but some tracks are prime examples of too many cooks in the kitchen.
Rob Garza and Eric Hilton, the heart and soul of TC, presented the musical community with a unique concept. The conflicting lyrics and music welcome discussion. The lack of politically-active music is strikingly absent from the 2008 repertoire. Unfortunately, the music itself didn’t quite match the concept in its originality.
Thievery Corporation
Radio Retaliation
Release Date: Sept. 23
Genre: Trip-Hop, Dub, Lounge
Grade: B-
Janet Lee can be reached at editor@nevadasagebrush.com
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on Tuesday, September 30th, 2008 at 12:11 am and is filed under Album Reviews, Arts & Entertainment, Vibe.
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