Aloha Kakahiaka

2004-12-07 | GWB (ENCORE)

I've listened to the new Eminem album a few more times, and it's definitely not a classic album through and through. Not destined to be one of my favorite albums all time. But there are probably 10 songs that I really like, and 3 or 4 songs that are destined to be personal favorites.

"Toy Soldiers" is an excellent account of his history of feuds, and is a beautifully constructed song throughout, except for the lame re-hashed 80's song of the same name, which seems to be a new fetish for Mr. Mathers.
There are other songs that don't have the complete power of "Toy Soldiers", but have elements and/or verses that excite me more than anything he's done in years. A perfect example is the stupidly titled "Big Weenie", which has a couple moments where Eminem spits at rapid-fire speed with reckless abandonment and side-splitting effectiveness simultaneously that will have you rewinding to hear them once again, so you can digest them completely and keep your head from exploding.
Possibly the best song on the album is "Rain Man", a song that is full of hilarity and madness as opposed to the poignant, dramatic attack showcased on "Toy Soldiers". Both reasons work well with his rhymes, but on "Rain Man" it can be a little more rewarding for the listener, because it's more lighthearted and leaves you with a smile on your face which "Toy Soldeirs" could never do, unless you were just smiling at the thought that you had something special in your hands and ears, and hoped you would never be without it again.
If you can look past the 2 or 3 lame tracks and the fillers, and embrace the beauty in between, then I'm sure you will enjoy this album.

- premature ejaculation | tantra +