A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z #
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13 & God 13 & God Release Date: 05/03/05 Score: 8.2 out of 10.0 |
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In 2002, the Notwists put together a superb album called Neon Golden and Themselves released a stellar sophomore effort. In 2005, the two polar opposites joined forces and released an excellent collaborative effort under the guise, 13 & God. So despite looks of worries and concerns, the merging of electropop rock with indie rap worked out great.
The self-titled debut from 13 & God is an album full of great synth work, cool beats, and robotica vocals. It's just about all you'd expect from the six-piece team. The ballady "Men of Station" has a feel good melody and some Postal Service-y like beat work.
The trifecta string of tracks 3-5 are beyond wonderful. "Ghostwork" kicks the tandem off with a synthesized reading, followed by some awesome electricized hip hop that holds steady for the two other songs, "Perfect Speed" and "Afterclap."
The second half has a slight reduction in quality, but it still retains much of the goodness of the first half. "Superman on Ice" is a solid track with a orchestra-like introduction, and slow buildup to a down tempo song.
And while there are small gripes: it's not a whole lot different than the hip hop sounds of Neon Golden and it's not as ecclectic as say RJD2, 13 & God's debut release is about everything you'd expect: a solid release.
-Anthony Nguyen
July 10, 2005
