THE LOST AND FOUND

Atmosphere, the two man duo of Slug (Sean Daly) and Ant (Anthony Davis), are back and hittin’ hard, with their new album ‘When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Sh*t Gold’ (WLGYLYPTSG). I’ll be honest, I’ve always had a love/hate for Slug’s raps - mostly because of his weird rhyme schemes and constant coke references - but after listening to ‘God Loves Ugly,’ (2003) it was his story-telling ability that changed my mind and left me wanting more. So with that said, when I first gave this CD a listen a lot of the tracks seemed contrived; almost as though Slug wrote the raps first, then found the beats for them later. However, after listening to this album for about two weeks straight his lyrics really started to take form and I found that there was more to the songs than what appeared on the surface.

The first song is called ‘Like The Rest of Us’. The beat is comprised of a music-box and a piano which lays the base for the first of many story tracks on the album. In this song, the transitions from first person to narrative are so seamless, and so abundant, that it sets the tone perfectly for the rest of the album. ‘WLGYLYPTSG’ can be broken down into three parts: You, Me, and Us. Through the stories, Slug delves into the semantics of relationships with the opposite sex and with the family. Underneath the glamour and glitz of some of the happier songs like ‘You’ and ‘Yesterday’, the album, is an inward looking, self-observation of Sean’s conscious thoughts expressed from start to finish. The whole ‘Man In The Mirror’ type feel is really driven home with the song ‘Me’. Whether or not the specifics are true in this song, the whole track paints a clear picture of his inner-thoughts. On the fifteen tracks in this album, there is a constant theme of flipping whole storylines of songs with one line. More on that later …

The album includes a host of characters such as dead-beat daddys, waitresses, kids, adolescent teens, rappers, and even cigarettes. What makes this album great is the melding of reality and fantasy. While most of the songs are probably make believe, Slug’s conviction and delivery prove that he is still well on top of his game. With little to no sampling on this album, their recent show at The Commodore, accompanied by a pianist, guitar/bass player and back up-singers, was top notch as they performed many of their stand out songs off the new album. Overall, the production on the album and the ‘never-saw-it-coming’ twists on some of the story tracks gives ‘WLGYLYPTSG’ much replay value. So settle down haters, Atmosphere gave us an album, and it was definitely painted gold.

VIDEO:
ATMOSPHERE: SHOULDA KNOWN

STAND OUT SONGS:
‘PUPPETS’:
Only two songs in at this point and already two too many coke references. It might just be the hard piano or the last hook when the girl starts singing along, but I really like this song. The beat doesn’t even kick-in until about half way which adds to the buildup towards the last hook.

“Who needs fame or fortune when you get same love that the fame is snortin’
Believe you would have more credibility if you wasn’t just another drunk pill junkie”

‘THE SKINNY’:
It took me a while to figure out he wasn’t saying ‘Skinny White Dick’ on this one. The concept of the songs is simply genius. At first I thought he was talking about a prostitute, but as the song progresses you learn that the ‘Skinny White Pimp’ is just your average cigarette.

“He don’t care about your stats or background
He ain’t picky once he puts his mac down
Make you suck it all the way to the ass now
Cause all of y’all heifers are cash cows”

‘SHOULDA KNOWN’:
The beat is crazy on this one, but I’m still trying to figure out if he’s talking about a girl high on coke or talking about coke as if it were a girl. Oh, and its also the first single off the album.

“I’ve got a restraining order against Satan’s daughter
And I keep it at the bottom of this Jamieson & water
And when we get there, just sit there and stare
From behind your mascara and your thick hair”

‘YOU’:
Another story track, this time based on a waitress. In combination with the beat, the verses and the hook make this the catchiest song on the album.

“Got a roommate to split the rent with
And now you never feel independent
And everything seem so hollow
‘Cause after work where’d that smile go”

‘YOUR GLASS HOUSE’:
Probably my favourite track on the album. This song best exemplifies the twists on story tracks I’ve been talking about. Its a song about ‘the morning after’ and he tells a story to which many can relate to, until the end (dun… dun… DUNNN!). I also really like the arrangement of the crazy, mad-hype synth and the sample in the hook.

“Hangover ain’t a strong enough word
It don’t describe what just occurred
Looking at a phone full of missed calls
Probably all the people that you pissed off”

‘YESTERDAY’:
Probably the most “radio-friendly” track on the album. Yet another story track, but this time it’s about seeing someone on the street that had passed away. Probably his most personal track because as the song develops you realize he’s not talking about a girl, but his dad.

“You disappeared, but the history is still here
That’s why I try not to cry over spilled beer
I can’t even get mad that you’re gone
Leaving me is probably the best thing you ever taught me”

‘GUARANTEES’:
This ones a laid back, rock-rap track on some ‘get up and get it’ type sh*t. Definitely a good track for the headphones and one to nod your head to.

“So break, my body, break, break my soul down
Just another zombie walkin’ blindly through your ghost town
Pull up to the bar politic and tap the power
Ain’t nobody really all that jolly at your happy hour”

‘WILD WILD HORSES’:
Along with a very interesting beat, this story track is based on a rapper on some cliche ‘boy meets girl, boy leaves girl’ tip. However, as the song goes on he reveals himself as the one with the broken heart.

“The word on the street is his girl’s coming back home
No more alone, no more sad poems
No after-bar calls to the cell phone
It’s time to walk a new path and grow a backbone”

‘THE WAITRESS’:
This song is the best story track off the album. It’s obviously about a waitress, but the story is told first-person through the eyes of a homeless person. As mentioned earlier, the album is full of twists at the very end of the songs. So with that said, I wont say anything more about this one.

“Look lady, I’m homeless, I’m crazy
I’m so hopeless I’m suicidal daily
If you and I can’t co-exist, let’s fake it
‘Cause I ain’t got the energy it takes for this relationship”