Well, this is a nice surprise. The great Gil Scott-Heron, author of classics such as “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised,” “Johannesburg,” and “The Bottle,” has had a well-chronicled bout with drugs in recent years, and eventually served a few stints in prison for possession. I think that most of us have written him off as a result, but thankfully he has rebounded with new art.
I’m New Here, set for release via Beggars Group on February 9, is Scott-Heron’s first album since 1994’s Spirits. Production — or, more accurately, spare musical backdrops — are lovingly provided by Beggars Group president Richard Russell. No Brian Jackson, though.
More from the bio:
On much of I’m New Here, Scott-Heron reflects on his life and this moment with his trademark vocal power and insight, sharing his visions among Russell’s flickering, electronic soundscapes which at various times conjure up thoughts of Burial and The xx, as well as a host of hip-hop influenced sounds. Against the low, buzzing miasma of “Crutch,” Scott-Heron observes a sidewalk junkie from both inside the addict’s head and out: “His eyes half-closed reveal his world of nod/A world of lonely men and no love, no God…” Against the metallic pulse of “Running,” he narrates a cold-sweat, 3 a.m. epiphany: “Because it’s easier to run/Easier than staying and finding out you’re the only one/Who didn’t run.” And, on the blues holler of future single “New York City is Killing Me,” he manages to sound like a raw-throated blues singer from a ‘30’s field recording and an existential narrator trapped in some post-industrial wasteland. Occasionally the electronics are stripped right back – as they are on the beautiful, heartfelt “I’ll Take Care Of You” – or on “I’m New Here”, a cover of indieband Smog, of all things, where Scott-Heron’s weathered baritone completely owns the lyrics, transforming them with the force of own history. At other times in stark contrast, they’re ramped right up – just listen to the crashing, hip-hop beat and primal vocal boom of “Me And The Devil”. Elsewhere, along with brief ruminations and tape-recorded insights, Scott-Heron sings over the airy, funk arrangements that recall his ‘70s work, given a modern day reboot by Russell. But through all of it runs the thoughtful, provocative and still rebellious voice of Gil Scott-Heron.
