After the (lack of) success their debut album Overcast! generated for them, Minneapolis rapper/producer duo Atmosphere set about creating even more music for the underground heads to salivate over, only this time in the form of extra "side" projects - compilations and EPs and such - while they gave themselves a lengthier period of time to perfect their next proper studio album. The first of these was the Headshots: Se7en mixtape/compilation that I covered during the last post of the series, and it was pretty great, if not extraordinarily replayable or inventive. Perhaps the more significant of their endeavours in this era, however, was the project I'm covering today - Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP's.
This project was the coming together of three EP's that Slug and Ant had put out in the years 2000 and 2001 - Ford One, Ford Two and The Lucy EP - with a couple of changes in sequencing too (one song from the EP's, "Travel", didn't even make this project at all). The first eight tracks make up The Lucy EP, and then tracks 9 to 15 are Ford One and Ford Two, with a few brand new tracks thrown in there too. The compilation of sorts is mostly produced by Ant, but oddly there are a few tracks on here with different producers, which feels a bit mean considering Ant is an actual part of the group and would therefore have nothing to do with those particular cuts. But whatever. There's also allegedly a hidden track which is a collaboration with El-P, and if there's one song I'm really intrigued by it's that one. But hopefully, there'll be plenty to enjoy throughout the 15 listed tracks on the back cover - Slug is a rapper who could potentially hold my interest for 15 straight tracks, and that's a good thing, as there are no other features on here at all.
Right, let's get into it. This one has been a long time coming. Time to see if Slug puts as much effort into his EP's as he does his actual albums - because if so, this could be a seriously interesting project.
1. Between the Lines (prod. Ant)
While Slug's storytelling throughout "Between the Lines" is pretty interesting, especially during the powerful and rather depressing third verse, I honestly think that the main appeal of this track is that instrumental from Ant, and the way it meshes so beautifully with Slug's vocals throughout the track - it's a truly wonderful sounding song, and honestly one of the best of the Atmosphere discography so far. The hook on here is memorable, and manages to be very repetitive without ever coming across as annoying, and this mellow beat really helps Slug's vocals to stand out, without ever feeling like mere background music, always standing out as this beautiful groove. I am actually surprised at how brilliant this sounded. Nice!
2. Like Today (prod. Ant)
A rather depressing storytelling cut - I guess we already know what the lyrical themes of most of these songs are going to be. I must admit I wasn't nearly as grabbed by the instrumental on this track as on the previous one - it's not bad, but just feels a little clunky, and doesn't really have the same smooth and relaxing grooves that made the last track so good. Also, Slug's storytelling is much more matter of fact here, and on a lot of the track he comes across as - to put it bluntly - a bit of a fucking creep. The best part about this track is probably the end part, where he reveals that the day was a dream, and insinuates that his life has become so formulaic that what inevitably happens has been plastered moment-for-moment into his mind. Did I mention the song was depressing? So while this is a step down from the previous song, it does have its moments - here's hoping the writing improves a little for the next song.
3. Tears for the Sheep (prod. Ant)
On this track, things get a little more intense. Ant samples Aretha Franklin's "Cry Like a Baby", which I immediately recognised as also being the sample used in Czarface's "Cement 3's", released over ten years after this song, I might add - and it makes for a pretty nice beat that feels rather urgent and dystopian, as if the apocalypse mentioned on the previous song has finally come to get us. However, this song is more about Slug's feelings about the rap game, and how everyone is all similar nowadays - they've all become "sheep", hence the title. I've never been the biggest fan of when underground rappers act like they're better than the mainstream artists - even if they are, it's just arrogant and pretentious most of the time - but here Slug does start to improve his metaphors, rather than giving me the message straight up like on the last song, which I do appreciate from him. Overall, this is definitely an improvement over the last track, and a pretty nice cut in general.
4. Guns and Cigarettes (prod. Ant)
Ant leans into his strengths - that's relaxing, groovy instrumentals - for the first time since the intro track, for this brilliant beat, that is repetitive as it gets, but manages to sound great throughout due to Slug's vocals and lyrics, which are absolutely hilarious. I was wondering why the man kept taking himself so seriously up to this point, so this humorous track (which was brand new on this compilation I believe, not a part of the original Lucy EP) is an honest to God breath of fresh air. Slug's lyrics, especially during the second verse, are entertaining as hell on this one, and I also love the way he incorporated the title into the theme of the song - go ahead and listen to it, you'll find out. In my opinion, it's seriously worth it. One of the best tracks yet.
5. Don't Ever Fucking Question That (prod. Ant)
Beautiful, beautiful song. Slug's dedication to his mother is powerful, and made all the more heart-wrenching by Ant's incredible work behind the boards here - that sampling is just impeccable. But really, I wouldn't care what beat was on this song - it's the lyrics that help it to stand out. If this was just another tale about some lonely, depressed character with girl problems then the instrumental might not have even sounded that good - but it's not, and it helps that beat to sound beautiful. Also, is it just me, or do parts of that second verse sound exactly like something Aesop Rock would write? Whatever - this song rules. Brilliant stuff.
6. It Goes (prod. Ant)
It seems that, thankfully, "Like Today" was the exception on here - as outside of that one Ant has been really tapping into his skills throughout this record. I mean, the bassline on this track right here is just exquisite. This is the first song on the project that really feels like it could be an Overcast! outtake, with it's fairly light hearted instrumental, and old-school call and response chorus - but let me tell you it would have been a highlight on that album. Slug's lyrics on here are really stellar, with some great one-liners, including "my son thinks that I am the coolest thing in this world / 'cause he's still too young to fall in love with girls". Rapping, production... whatever - this song is great in all areas. Dope stuff.
7. If I Was Santa Claus (prod. Ant)
Despite the off-putting song title, I found this one to be really entertaining too. The track has kind of a haunting feel, despite the very christmassy sound that the instrumental incorporates, and Slug uses this as a blueprint for one of the most passionate performances he's delivered on this record thus far. The lyrics on here are nothing short of fantastic, with aggressive verses detailing all of his feelings at the time on music, love, his own depression, and much more. The track is far darker than the previous one, and it does add to the kind of bipolar nature of the record so far - but honestly that's not such a bad thing. This is one of the best tracks yet.
8. Aspiring Sociopath (prod. Ant)
Quite the switch up in sound from the rest of the project so far, this pretentiously titled song finishes The Lucy EP section of the album, and it's... interesting. Musically, this one doesn't warrant much replaying - the halloween-esque instrumental is slow and gets rather mind-numbing, even if it is at least somewhat experimental and interesting, and Slug's flow is nowhere near as tight and in the pocket as it has been throughout the rest of the project. No, the main draw for this song is the storytelling, which basically is a better, less creepy (despite still being somewhat creepy) version of what Slug wrote on "Like Today" - and it's pretty entertaining, bar some of the attempts at singing classic songs strewn throughout the lone verse. Slug's mind clearly travelled to a myriad of different places during his early career, and this is an example of when his highly intriguing pen distracts the listener from any shortcomings the instrumental or actual rapping performance might have. This isn't a great song, but it does stand out, and that's important in a discography as big as Atmosphere's.
9. Free Or Dead (prod. Jel)
This is the point in the LP where the Ford One and Ford Two EPs are placed, a change marked by the introduction of a new producer. And I've gotta say, this Jel guy does a pretty good job of keeping up the atmosphere (ha) of this album, with an instrumental that's relaxing yet also somewhat haunting, and one that doesn't overwhelm Slug's vocals on the song at any point either. The chorus on here is a bit pointless, feeling like just another part of the verses, only one repeated unnecessarily at the end... but otherwise this song is pretty awesome, despite Slug's affinity for rhyming about being a creep rearing its ugly head again. The rapping here is pretty damn entertaining, if the flows were a little repetitive at times, and as I said this beat is dope. Nice stuff!
10. Party For the Fight to Write (prod. Ant)
Atmosphere's love letter to the genre they work within is this track, the title of which alone pays homage to two classics by Public Enemy and the Beastie Boys. The bass heavy instrumental feels like a Bomb Squad beat put through the Atmosphere filter to make it sound relaxing, and it's really good, especially when it starts to switch up a bit midway through the track. Pity there's no record scratching on here - that would have enhanced the track to no end. Still, as it is it's pretty nice, with some really good verses from Slug - the awkward "Shook Ones" interpolation notwithstanding - and a reasonably well written hook. Like the last couple of tracks, it's not phenomenal, but it's not bad either.
11. Mama Had a Baby and His Head Popped Off (prod. Ant)
The only song in this half of the album that's all new, not taken from the Ford EPs - and in my opinion it's a step up from the last few cuts. Atmosphere are at their best when Ant is creating a smooth, relaxing instrumental, and Slug is rapping calmly but with conviction, with some lyrics that are interesting and meaningful, but not too corny or preachy either - and this song manages their strengths perfectly. The instrumental, with that groovy bassline and vocal sample, is absolutely gorgeous, while Slug's rapping is brilliant - his lyrics are typically great, and his flows are nice too. It doesn't even have an annoyingly repetitive hook. This song is easily one of the best so far, and a brilliant track in general.
12. They're All Gonna Laugh @ You (prod. Jel)
Ehhh... I get what Slug was trying to do here, but it really doesn't work for me. Remember the stuff I mentioned in the last paragraph about what makes Atmosphere great? Yeah, this has none of that. The instrumental is jarring and barely qualifies as music at all, while Slug's yelling and his terrible, terrible final bars are annoying as all hell. It's great that you can use music as a way of letting your anger out Slug, but do you really have to subject the general public to the results of it as well? This was a swing and a miss - but hey, at least it's short.
13. Lost and Found (prod. Jel)
Definitely a big improvement on the last song, even if it is again a bit abrasive compared with some of the best material on this project. Slug's performance here is better and less whiny than on the previous song, meanwhile the instrumental is loud without being clunky and annoying - that last song really was a weak link wasn't it? Some of Slug's lyrics on here are really great, especially the opening few bars, and even if it is repeated to high heaven, I do enjoy the chorus on this track too. Yeah, this one was pretty fun.
14. The Woman With the Tattooed Hands (prod. Ant)
This project's most popular song is this rather odd storytelling track, in which Slug recounts a time when the tattoos on a woman's hands came alive after she started to *ahem* pleasure herself. I'm assuming it's Ant's brilliantly moving instrumental, with its beautiful piano chords, that is the cause of this song's high streaming count, because I can't imagine Slug's disturbed fantasy is the reason - this song is lyrically weird as fuck. Entertaining, but weird as fuck all the same. There's probably some deeper message to this song, but for the moment I'm not really sure. Maybe it's just a story for the sake of a story. Either way, Slug is clearly starting to scrape the barrel for ideas, so it's a good thing we've reached the last song.
15. Nothing But Sunshine (prod. Moodswing9)
Aside from the bit where Slug murders a cow while moaning (yes, that really does happen during this song), I actually really enjoyed this one - it might well be the best of the entire second half of the record. Slug's tale of how his rough upbringing didn't affect his positive outlook on the world now is touching (even though apparently most of the story is made up), and Ant's beat is fucking awesome, with great ringing pianos that make for beautiful backing music to the song. This was genuinely stellar, and a truly great way to end this project.
But wait! Is that a... hidden track? Why yes, it is.
15 1/2. Homecoming (feat. El-P) (prod. El-P)
I can only assume it was Slug not wanting to have any guest appearances on his album that kept this joint off of the main project, because this is easily one of the major highlights on here, and that's not even just the El-P Stan in me talking. Oh sure, El's verse is absolutely brilliant on here, being a precursor to a lot of the weird, unorthodox rhyme patterns and lyrics that would litter his masterpiece Fantastic Damage one year after this song's release - and his production is also fantastic (if not really like a lot of the other stuff he was doing at the time), with the pianos and occasional electronic sound effects creating a dystopian air to the song that is mostly missing from other Atmosphere tracks. But... I mean, Slug does good as well. Ah, who am I kidding - El-P is the main reason why you should listen to this - and you really should, as it's fucking brilliant. Great way to end this album - if only it was on a separate track to "Nothing But Sunshine". Oh well.
Honestly, Lucy Ford: The Atmosphere EP's might just be Atmosphere's best album yet. Sure, Overcast! and Headshots: Se7en were both very entertaining, but at the end of the day they felt very amateur, and very rough around the edges. Lucy Ford is the first album in their discography thus far that feels like a proper project made by professionals using proper equipment - it feels like they're finally starting to find their own sound, and differentiate themselves from all the other underground, battle-rappy acts of the time. I've gotta give most of the props on here to the first half of the album, The Lucy EP, which was actually more recent than the Ford EPs, so it makes sense that it'd be more realised. Aside from my small issues with "Like Today", there was really very little to criticise within this half of the album. The storytelling was brilliant, Slug sounded brilliant on the mic, and Ant's production was consistently great, with plenty of lovely grooves being found in this part of the album. The second half is definitely less consistent, both in quality and also in sound in general - the latter point making sense what with the introduction of more new producers in this section - and in general lyrically and musically a little bit less enjoyable; but it's still pretty great nonetheless, and for every underwhelming moment (or straight up bad song - I'm talking about "They're All Gonna Laugh @ You", of course), there is a fantastic song too, like "Nothing But Sunshine", or that brilliant El-P collaboration that's a hidden track for some reason. This album is most certainly not perfect, but it definitely is a big step forward in Atmosphere's sound, and makes my excitement for the next album GodLovesUgly rise tenfold. I'd definitely recommend a listen of this - Atmosphere's unique sound is one that isn't to be missed, and much of the time on Lucy Ford their formula is working at it's absolute finest.
Best Track: "Don't Ever Fucking Question That"
Worst Track: "They're All Gonna Laugh @ You"
If you're interested, I've written a little more about Atmosphere too!
