Patchwork Of Puddles

Wu-Tang Clan “Windmill” – I really hate the fact that the Big Doe Rehab and 8 Diagrams came out so close together. I mean, it’s great to have this embarrassment of Wu riches at the end of the year, but it basically forces the fans to digest them simultaneously, and compare them against each other. This is mostly unfair to 8 Diagrams, which can’t help but seem initially disappointing compared to the non-stop crowd-pleasing sound of Ghostface’s latest record.

Think of it in culinary terms — the Big Doe Rehab is aesthetically unchallenging but undeniably delicious, like a really fantastic slice of pizza. It gives you exactly what you want, in just the right way, and even if you don’t care about the level of craft that went into it, you’re going to be satisfied. It’s a can’t-lose proposition. The new Wu-Tang is a gourmet meal, with RZA and his production collaborators serving up some familiar ingredients in ways that are a bit unexpected, with a few odd fusion touches, and unorthodox techniques. It’s the sort of meal that makes you actually think about what you’re eating, and reconsider your tastes. (“Oh, huh, I didn’t realize that I liked capers…”) It’s supposed to taste good too, but it’s intended for a refined, discerning palate — it’s a very cerebral sort of pleasure. The experiments on 8 Diagrams don’t always yield classic results, but for the most part, it’s a complicated, delicate blend of flavors and textures that respects the strengths of its MCs by pushing them out of their comfort zones.

I’ve heard 8 Diagrams at least a dozen times now, and I still don’t even know how to describe the way it feels. It’s stubbornly resistant to adjectives — much of the record falls into the vague space between thought and emotions, it’s basically an entire album of songs that evoke a sense of reserved confusion. It’s an odd vibe; confident but a bit rattled, brave yet paranoid. A lot of the songs feel slightly stunned and blank, with ample negative space filled out with melancholy guitar lines or the eerie sustained hiss of sampled cymbals. It all sounds very honest, like they all decided not to obscure their advancing age by pandering to younger taste, much less hide their conflicted emotions about heading into a rather frightening make-or-break stage of their career. It’s fairly mellow and relaxed, but it’s not easy listening — it’s a full hour of lull without release, and it steadily becomes less aggressive and more despondent as the tracklisting progresses toward a deliberately anti-climactic conclusion. (Click here to buy it from Amazon.)