Album Review :: Eminem - Recovery

In a strange way, you sort of want to root for Eminem. It's a rare gift when an artist has the self-awareness to address the overall shittiness of some of their previous work, which comes up frequently on Recovery. Despite that I'm not what you'd call a "fan," as someone who took the time to listen to both Encore and Relapse I appreciate the apology. It was nice of him. Unfortunately that is probably the most positive thing I have to say about Recovery. The idea of Eminem making some grand return to prominence with a truly raw, evocative new album is what that just seemed... right. It seems like the natural course of history, wherein a once monumental figure of hip hop overcame a difficult period to release something truly excellent. Unfortunately, the most accurate description of the album is "well, it's not embarrassing or terrible."

And, in truth, it's not embarrassing or terrible. It's just not very good. Eminem's lightening fast and furious delivery seems to be the focus, which, in itself, is back to where it once was, but the songs themselves often fall flat and it seems more like you're listening to an exhibition of technical proficiency than an album. It's like Dream Theater, but with Michael J. Fox jokes. More frequently than not, Em's "fire" overwhelms the rest of what's going on on the track. The beats are academic and, while I wouldn't say "uninspired," because he clearly is very focused this time around, they're predictable and often disconnected from the lyrics. The music seems like an afterthought.

As has become the tradition with Eminem records, Em is at his best, and most clever, when he isn't trying to be topical. The pop culture references are kept to a bare minimum here, which plays in the albums favor. Even as a snobby jerk who doesn't enjoy this type of material at all, there were a few lines that managed to make me crack a smile, which I take as a good sign for his audience.

Not surprisingly, one of the highlights here is the Dr. Dre produced "So Bad" which sounds positively retro and is one of the few songs that actually seems to have a traditional hook, in contrast to the rest of the album which has an unfortunate tendency to blend together. "Almost Famous" and "Love the Way You Lie" also manage to pop a little, but by that point you've been listening for nearly an hour. It seems like you could have easily cut most of the opening seven tracks and wound up with a much stronger final product.

Overall, fans will probably be pleased. This is certainly a marked improvement over Em's last two records and hopefully the opening notes of the second chapter of his storied career. Conversely, while an avid hip hop fan will appreciate much of this, there is absolutely nothing here for the casual listener. So don't bother.