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Nov 26, 2012For Skelethon is the kind of record an artist only makes once in their career; the culmination of long-gestation, departing loved ones and having to innovate out of your comfort zone.
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The WireOct 3, 2012His murky but upbeat productions augment this sensation, giving Skelethon a sort of B-boy gothic feel, an old school park jam recreated by Tim Burton. [Sep 2012, p.74]
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Sep 18, 2012However challenging or confusing his rhymes can be, the songs still work with their combination of banging beats, rich lyricism, and twisted humor.
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Aug 28, 2012At its best the album is transportive, realizing surprisingly complex snapshots straight from the Aesop's brain... When the album misses, the experience can be unfortunately stressful, unnecessarily serious, and lacking in healthy self-awareness. Luckily these moments are in the minority.
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Aug 2, 2012Skelethon is a wildly energetic, funny, poignant, nostalgic and sad record; the result of huge personal investment on Aesop's behalf.
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Jul 27, 2012He's found ways to make complexity entertaining and to harness pain in the names of maturity and laughter.
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MagnetJul 18, 2012Skelethon finds the stealth-drawling rapper swallowing his wise-as-his-namesake words, then spitting out more quixotic phrasing and racing, racy syllables than Busta Rhymes might if he was on a hot martini of Red Bull, moonshine and methamphetamine. [No.89, p.52]
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Jul 18, 2012Ultimately, fans of Aesop will love this release, but those who have yet to find a reason to listen to his music won't find one here.
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Jul 17, 2012Now, he's removed all high concepts and stripped both the music and his voice bare, and Skelethon makes you feel that vulnerability and emotion--it's real stuff.
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Jul 13, 2012Aesop has tremendous control for a syllable-stuffer; he's Kweli with restraint, knowing when to rein in the racehorse flow and slow down for emphasis, never loosening his grip long enough to stumble over the vigorous drum-driven beats, which - to the benefit of Aesop's gruff narration - are simple and unobtrusive and angry and allow whatever he's talking about at the moment ... to sound not only compelling, but also hard.
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Jul 11, 2012The best compliment to the record is that its omnivorous approach feels right at home today.
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Jul 10, 2012His first solo production, the brooding music on Skelethon is often as intoxicating as the stentorian rhymes.
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Jul 10, 2012These beats are bespoke. The rapping has never been better either, with the music tailored to wring maximum tension out of each bar.
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Jul 10, 2012More than ever he seems to accept his differences and embrace them, making an album that is more a solid work of art than anything previous.
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Jul 10, 2012The chorus sums up why Skelethon sits comfortably with his best albums: "Take the brain out / Leave the heart in."
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Jul 10, 2012It may not be his best record, but it absolutely reaffirms why his craft is so vital.
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Jul 10, 2012Skelethon ranks among Aesop's greatest work yet.
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Under The RadarJul 9, 2012"Zero Dark Thirty" and "Racing Stripes" alone produce an image more three-dimensional than just about anything hip-hop can dish out. [Jun 2012, p.161]
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Jul 9, 2012Aesop sounds stronger and sure after taking this journey, making Skelethon his most rewarding effort to date.
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Alternative PressJul 5, 2012Lacing together 15 tracks this tight is nothing short of a rap lifetime accomplishment. [Aug 2012, p.84]
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Jul 5, 2012Aesop Rock shows an accomplished ability to join the unflinchingly candid with the unfalteringly compelling.
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Jul 5, 2012Skelethon is funky, freaky and heavy on the drums.
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Jul 5, 2012This is still a consistently great set of songs, and the album another major accomplishment for Aesop Rock--but it's still there on the edges, keeping a great record from becoming another classic from one of our best working emcees.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 42 out of 48
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Mixed: 3 out of 48
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Negative: 3 out of 48
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Jul 11, 2012
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Nov 15, 2012
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Jul 13, 2012