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While his past two Anti-/Epitaph releases showed a heavy punk influence, Li(f)e is a groundbreaking amalgamation of folk, indie rock and hip hop.
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Although Francis has described himself as a "low-confidence engine" since early in his career, the rapper has produced a strong and instantly relatable album with Li(f)e.
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Most of his fans will chose to follow, while first time listeners may find it hard to relate. I promise you there's no bitter aftertaste if you give it a chance - in the end you may find it surprisingly sweet.
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FilterWhile combining rock with rap always risks awkwardness, Francis' poetry supersedes Li(f)e's musical missteps. [Spring/Summer 2010, p.108]
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Taking on both the BS and sobering-side-of-life lessons while straddling genres would be difficult for any musician, but Sage did it and came up with a B-plus effort. More tangible proof that he’s a gifted artist.
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It’s a serious, earnest “lighten up, kid” that returns to Francis’s strongest mode, the slightly stilted personal journal; like the rest of Li(f)e it’s honest, sometimes brutally so, occasionally just brutal, and it’s hard to ask for more than that.
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Under The RadarLi(f)e's major selling points are the Americana-tinged instrumentals that dutifully counterpoint Francis' rebukes. [Spring 2010, p.74]
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The end result is a new soundtrack for the same old song and dance: Sage still ekes out a chuckle-inducing rhyme here and there, but it’s nothing he hasn’t done before.
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If every track on the album had the unforced lyrical clarity of "Little Houdini", Sage could have the album of his life on his hands here. But Sage is still the type of guy to name an album Li(f)e and a song "Polterzeitgeist", and the album comes packed with yeesh-inducing lines