It’s been a minute since our last review, but the albums have not stopped hitting our office. In fact the amount of CDs we receive increases daily. We’ve racked our brains with a new and creative approach to album reviews that we hope will satisfy everyone’s needs and allow us to move through the piles of LPs and singles that come through each day…Here’s what we came up with (drum roll please)…Ruby Hornet: Front To Back…Let us explain…

How many times has an artist, regardless of genre, age, and skill said something that resembles, ‘man, this album you can just listen to front to back.’ We’ve all heard it, and here at Ruby Hornet, we don’t trust anyone. So, instead of taking these artists at their word, we’ve come up with a way to measure an album’s front-to-back ability. We went out and got a new stereo system with a multi-disc changer, and loaded it up with the new arrivals to see which can actually be enjoyed throughout, and which ones were better off as EPs. This is a new thing that we’re doing, so grow with us, and please leave comments…

The rating system is as follows.
Let It Ride: Just press play and relax…
Breathe & Stop: A couple joints here, a couple joints there…
One & Done: There maybe a hit single here, but not much else…

This week we threw in new albums from Buckshot & 9th Wonder, Estelle, Truth Universal, Portishead, and Foul Mouth Jerk. Let me say this, they didn’t all stay in very long.

Artist: Buckshot & 9th Wonder
Album: The Formula
Rating: Let It Ride
Synopsis: If there’s one thing that Buckshot and 9th did well here, and there’s definitely more than one thing, it’s arranging the record correctly. Clearly demonstrating the importance of a solid first track, Buck and 9th hit with “The Intro” and we literally just let it ride after that. Following up on their previous collab, Chemistry, this album features Buckshot dispensing knowledge over 9th’s soulful productions. Guest spots peppered throughout by Swan, Talib Kweli, Arafat Yates, and others provides Buck good company, but he’s strong enough here to carry the weight himself. Standout tracks include “Ready (Brand New Day)”, “No Future”, and “Shinin’ Y’all.”

Artist: Estelle
Album: Shine
Rating: Let It Ride
Synopsis: Estelle’s state side debut, Shine, is definitely one to just let ride. The perfect blend of production, vocals, and harmonies gives this album a light and bouncy vibe. Beyond the hit, “American Boy,” “Magnificent” and “Wait A Minute” are other tracks that are club ready. The John Legend assisted “You Are” shines in its own right and provides a nice change of pace for the record. “Pretty Please” featuring Cee-Lo is fresh to death, and a great example of the way that Estelle is able to incorporate an oldies sound with new sensibilities.

Artist: Truth Universal
Album: Self Determination
Rating: One & Done
Synopsis: We got through three joints of Self-Determination, before letting go of this history book set to music. We tried to like this album, we tried hard, as Truth Universal is saying important things, but truthfully, Truth Universal’s gallant effort was boring for the most part, and not very universally appealing.  We applaud the themes, but minimal production and just too many words made us pass.

Artist: Portishead
Album: Third
Rating: Breathe & Stop
Synopsis: Portishead is a little bit toward the edge of what we usually listening to, but when the collective’s first album in ten years hit our mailbox, we threw it in the mix. This one got mixed reviews in the offices, as the production and soundscape had everyone from Benny Rocs to RTC bobbing their heads and dreaming up mash-up combos. However, the vocals often served as haunting buzz kills. “Silence” and “Machine Gun” would make for banging instrumentals, while songs such as “The Rip” and “Threads” didn’t garner much of a listen. Throw this one on, and be prepared to work the forward and back buttons.

Artist: Foul Mouth Jerk
Album: Street Light Music
Rating: Breathe & Stop
Synopsis: Foul Mouth Jerk isn’t playing around with the Street Light Music title. The Hip Hop veteran pays homage to an earlier time, and sets the tone from the jump with the first track of the same name. Cleverly and skillfully incorporating scratches and samples in songs throughout the album, Foul Mouth Jerk creates an LP that will certainly resonate with True School Hip Hop Heads, and perhaps pull in some newcomers as well. Tracks “Small Town USA” and “Take The Money and Run” got the most play here. The rest of Street Light Music is solid, but stagnant at times as FMJ weaves similar stories over similar sounding beats.