Album Review: "Li(f)e" by Sage Francis

A Healthy Distrust was probably Sage Francis' breakout record and, unfortunately Human the Death Dance was not much of step up for him. Fortunately, Sage gets something he really needed on his latest album: a live band.

Sage collaborated with a host of indie rockers and musicians, working with different musicians on each track, to create a record that sounds different from the rest of his work, with a largely country-rock influenced sound.

Li(f)e opens with Little Houdini, a true story about a man who escapes from jail several times to visit his family. This nonfiction narrative is a refreshing turn for Sage, taking a break from his usual lyricism that often draws criticism for its over-the-top profane imagery and lack of subtlety. The music, a building country-tinged rock beat, is by Grandaddy's Jason Lytle. The lyrics and music mesh perfectly to make arguably the best track on the album.

Three Sheets to the Wind is a straight-rocker conducted by Death Cab guitarist Chris Walla. I Was Zero sees Sage return to old lyrical form over a buoyant accompaniment.

The album's first single is Slow Man. Written long before the rest of this album, the lyrics for this song didn't have a home until it found a home with this tracks bluesy groove.

The album closes with it's second single, The Best of Times. Here, Sage Francis brings back his trademark confessional style, recounting his troubled youth over a beautiful arrangement by French composer Yann Tiersen, who's most known for composing the soundtrack to the motion picture "Amelie."

While this album has a view pitfalls, overall it is very good. The music definitely steals the show and is the landmark difference between this record and the rest of Sage Francis' catalog.

Click here to hear Sage Francis discuss Li(f)e

Read more about Sage Francis and his new album here

Getting Down to the Roots

The Roots are my favorite rap group. This became apparent to me after I listened to their song "Atonement" of their 2006 release Game Theory (currently my favorite Roots album). What originally drew me to the track was the interesting instrumentation, which included an accordion, an instrument not usually found in The Root's sound pallet. On a second listen, I noticed that the chord progression of the song sounded familiar. I instantly thought of "You and Whose Army" by Radiohead, but I dismissed the similarity as coincidence. With another listen I realized that the guitar line was in fact a sample of the Radiohead song, accompanied by a sample of Thom Yorke's vocals. While I was originally surprised by this because I never really noticed The Root's sampling, I nonetheless had to give them props on music taste. Radiohead samples aside, what makes this track great is the classic Roots sound. The bass keeps a solid groove and the drum holds down the beat while keeping it interesting. The track features Jack Davey of J*Davey, laying down a sultry chorus.

The power of The Roots lies in the band. The problem with a lot of rap music these days is that it sounds too produced. The sounds are synthetic and everything is wrapped all too tightly in a box. A live band will always sound better than electronic instruments. There's more energy, more power, and more substance. It's raw, edgy, and real. Also important to consider is how multiple musicians can affect the song writing process. Instead of having one producer and one vocalist working on a song, there is more creative input with the inclusion of different musical voices.

The Roots have inspired many imitators, however none can compare. A principal reason for this is that The Roots are always changing things up. The formula for their albums is never the same. The Roots always keep it fresh, changing their style and featuring different collaborators every time.