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Sep 23, 2011It's a pure, you're-only-as-old-as-you-feel joy to hear British hip hop's most original and inspiring voice hitting his peak as he approaches his 40th year.
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MagnetNov 21, 2011Converts to the cause will find much to love here, and curious newcomers and Anglophiles, it's as good a place as any to start. [#82, p.58]
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Sep 28, 2011Intense, cutting and clever, this is an album that unfolds at a near blistering pace.
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Q MagazineSep 28, 2011British rapper ups the stakes with boundary-stretching pop turn. [Oct 2011, p.94]
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MojoSep 27, 2011Brit rapper Rodney Smith takes a big step towards national treasure status on sobering fifth album. [Oct 2011, p.99]
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Sep 26, 20114everevolution is an appropriately titled, subtle progression which proves that intelligent hip-hop and accessible urban pop don't have to be mutually exclusive, and in the process, Roots Manuva has produced his best record since his 2001 breakthrough, Run Come Save Me.
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Sep 26, 2011Not all of 4everevolution shines--tracks such as "First Growth" feel like Manuva by numbers--but there are some gems here, and it's good to hear the veteran south London rapper adapting his gruff tones to such a wide variety of material.
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Sep 23, 2011The production is crisp and varied; Roots' warm vocal typically hits with soul without being too forcefully firebrand and constant changes in style and tempo gives 4Everevolution the energy to see it through.
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Sep 23, 2011Nearing his 40th birthday, he has delivered an album that's contemplative, insightful and filled with a beleaguered sense of the hard-scrabble nature of contemporary life.
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Sep 23, 2011It's a more considered and persuasive analysis than most of his younger, grimier peers can offer.
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Oct 3, 2011As seventeen-track records go, it's edible, and should qualify him for another wave of buzz when the Mercurys come round next year.
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Sep 26, 2011With 4everevolution Smith continues to avoid the genre's default Americanisms and instead dabbles in proggy electronic wizardry ('In The Throes Of It'), warped R&B ('Takes Time To') and sleekly produced, astute socio-political commentary ('Who Goes There?').
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Nov 10, 2011While these lighter moments feel necessary over the course of a casual listen, one can't help but wonder if a whole album of the doubt and discovery of self-examination would have made for a more compelling statement.
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Oct 27, 2011The production is eclectic, yet cohesive to a fault; too many tracks melt together. A solid 15 minutes could be chipped from this album's slightly daunting 65-minute running time, and its quality wouldn't be worsened.
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Oct 12, 2011It may not be his finest hour, but that doesn't mean it's without value. Yes, there are both righteous highs and tedious lows, but the inspired moments are worth cherishing.
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Oct 4, 20114everevolution is a multi-faceted, varied album that will not please all the people all of the time.
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UncutSep 23, 2011As a whole, 4everevolution lacks the decisive sonic focus his fierce and funny lyrical barbs deserve. [Oct 2011, p.98]
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Sep 23, 2011His fifth album, however, finds him still in peak form, voicing socially aware hip hop and outré electro-disco, all with an eloquence which often eludes the newer generation.
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Oct 27, 2011The problem with 4everevolution is that it takes too long to get to the good moments.