Sage Francis “Li(f)e” Review

Sage Francis is one of the most-brutally honest and lyrical rappers around right now. His latest album, Li(f)e, sees Francis continue his lyrical ability, as he tackles life, religion, politics and everything else in between. Francis may come off as a cynic at some points with this album, but there’s plenty of beauty to be found in the truth he’s spitting.

What sets this album apart from his past efforts is the top-notch production. For those who don’t know, Francis collaborated with some of indie rock’s biggest names for the production on this album. Band members from the likes of Death Cab for Cutie, Devotchka, and Sparklehorse all helped provide production for Francis.

Longtime listeners to Francis are used to him using loud and in-your-face beats which he angrily raps over. Some may see this album as more of an experiment rather than a long unwinding road of emotion Francis has been waiting to spill out on us. Most of the production seems like something a more folk-like rapper, such as Buck 65, would handle, but Francis utilizes it all successfully.

While every song on the album provokes some kind of emotion and self-reflecting thought, there are a couple standouts. One of them being Worry Not. What’s so attention grabbing about this song is it’s like an old-time bar sing-along song – only with a heavy message. While the song contains plenty of emotion to offer, your mind may find itself lingering and picturing a bar full of drunks singing about something with meaning.

The album’s best song comes at the end with The Best of Times. “It’s been a long and lonely trip but I’m glad I took it; It was well worth it,” reads the first line of the song. The line is quick to grab attention as it is sure to relate to something the listener can connect to something during their own lifetime. When the beat makes the more uptempo switch in the middle and Francis first says the: “It was the best of times, it was the end of times” lyric, the song just becomes full bliss.

Many college graduates have probably been playing Jay-Z’s Young Forever, and understandably so; however, Francis’ Best of Times may be more fitting toward the first big closing chapter of a young one’s life.

Li(f)e is an album everyone should listen to at least once in their life. Some may delve into it and take something out of the experience, and some may just write it off. This is music that won’t ever be something you hear on the radio, this is music that will live forever in your heart and mind.

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You can contact Brad at brad@theurbanian.com or follow him on Twitter.

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 11th, 2010 at 10:28 am and is filed under Music. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.