RJD2
Rating: 3/5
Sounds Like: Beck, DJ Shadow
Download: Reality, Work it Out
When RJD2 came back for an encore in his concert in the Gargoyle last fall, most concertgoers expected samples and scratching rather than the acoustic guitar number that closed the show. The song that followed was more evocative of Elliott Smith than DJ Shadow (to whom RJD2 is often compared). It was mellow, calm, and utterly out of place with the rest of the show.
So too goes RJD2’s latest album, “The Third Hand,” which finds the master of the wheels of steel whimsically dabbling in experimental pop. Gone almost entirely is the scratching, replaced with electronic and acoustic samples that are at various moments catchy, trippy and subdued. Above all else, the album feels restrained.
This is not to say that RJD2 doesn’t take risks. He sings, for one thing, which rarely comes naturally for your average turntablist or producer. D2 has never done this sort of thing before on an album, which is surprising considering how good he is at it. At the same time, his vocals never overwhelm the song, perhaps because he is used to letting his music speak for itself.
The lyrics are also impressive, usually built off the sentiments of the music. Maybe D2 just needs a new medium to express his maturity. “Just When” finds him reminding us of his age and need for security. “I just a need a word to pass my name on/When I’m dead and gone,” he says about marriage, adding, “all the housework I can handle/You can just try motherhood out.” Even if D2’s marital proposition is less than convincing, the gentle delivery completes the sense of sincerity.
Despite the singing, RJD2 doesn’t entirely abandon his roots. Drum kits and synthesized sounds of all varieties form the cornerstone for all of the songs except for “Someday,” a beautiful minute-long acoustic number. But RJD2 struggles when the pace of his songs slow; the worst tracks on the album, such as “Paper Bubble” and “Evening Gospel,” sound lethargic. Other songs such as “The Bad Penny” and “Beyond” suffer from GarageTunes syndrome of heavily looped repetitive mediocrity.
So did RJD2’s energy leave with his funk? Not really. “Reality,” one of the best tracks on “The Third Hand,” expertly pairs a well-grounded beat with staccato vocals. “Work It Out” takes longer to build, but is ultimately just as rewarding. The percussion builds slowly to climax in a sweeping chorus with richly layered vocals and restless drums.
RJD2’s work has always required the listener to accept the idea of delayed gratitude. A little patience is required to unmask the nugget of a pop sample that D2 had been hinting at throughout the song. These moments, however, are fewer and farther between in “The Third Hand” and the record suffers a bit from its inconsistency.
Even if RJD2 could stand to throw us a few more bones, the album is well worth a listen. D2’s got a knack for genre-defying good music that warrants a few downloads at the very least.