Sublime with Rome: Yours Truly Deluxe Version

 tracklisting: 1)panic 2)only 3)lovers rock 4)murdera  5)my world 6)paper cuts  7)pch  8)same old situations  9)take it or leave it  10)you better listen  11)spun  12)can you feel it (feat. wiz khalifa)  13)dynamite  14)safe and sound  15)panic (acoustic version)

      

okay, let's get this out of the way now. SADLY, BRADLEY NOWELL IS DEAD. he has been for awhile now. and while you have to compare SUBLIME's new incarnation with Rome on vocals to it's former self, you don't have to stone a nigga for not being the original singer. now pour your 40oz (to freedom) out on the curb and let's move the fuck on....

i have never found SUBLIME to be, well, sublime but you cannot deny the strength and longetivity of 1996's self-titled album. i admit that i didn't like appreciate the album (with the exception of the singles) until about a decade later. looking back, that last album was a one-of-a-kind experience that stuck out against the short lived neo ska/americanized reggae movement of the mid-90's.so here we are, 2011, legions of rabid sublime fans waiting for remaining members  to "put the band back together", while complaning it will never be the same. but is the same always good?

the answer is yes and no. the new album is like diet SUBLIME, not quite the same taste and less filling. gone are the days of their scattershot hodge podge of styles. all-in-all, it's a decent to good album. but at times it actually feels dumbed down from the older albums, as if the band was limiting itself.

the album blazes out of the gate with "panic", one of the very few nods to their more aggressive side. next, "only" and "lovers rock" meander on a generic ska/reggae path, the latter of the two only being saved by Rome's smooth vocal melodies. "murdera" picks up the slack with abit more groove than the previous two. "my world" switches over between ska to straight up punk. unfortunately, it's in moments like this that Bradley's signature vocals are missing. Rome's smooth but limited vocal range starts to take effect here. His pop style singing only half the time, the other half it just seems to be trying to keep up. which brings us to the clusterfuck of the album, "papercuts". it's fast...and that's about it. definately too quick for Rome, who sounds completely uncomfortable on the track. even the production quality dips, as the band atempts to salvage some of their street cred. "pch" and " same old situation" feel abit sacchrine, the former sounding like a bad outtake from a JASON MRAZ cd. "same old..." at least as a catchy chorus amongst it's generic sound. "take it or leave it" is a very catchy midpaced reggae ditty that adds some keyboards into the mix and a rock interlude for a deeper depth. "you better listen" and "spun" round out the regular album edition with, surprise(!) more of the generic sound that plagues this album, the latter has abit more of a rock feel though. both do include female backing vocals which add something new and interesting to the mix.

the bonus tracks offer some new perspective and, frankly, really save the album from being only half good. "can you feel it?" offers a dance hall feel with some hip hop (and blunted) inspiration. unfortunately there's also the added bonus of a mediocre verse spit by wiz khalifa (of black and yellow fame). goodie (not really)! "dynamite" is a groove-laden slow burner. chillest song of the album, though at 7:52 it tends to burn a little too long. "safe and sound" comes out of left field sounding more like a M.I.A. alternative dance club banger with some more added female vocals, which is far from a bad thing. lastly, the album closes with a completely pointless acoustic rendition of  "panic". it's what all the cool kids are doing now for bonus tracks, so why the fuck not, right?

production is beautifully clear with all the instruments mixed well. the bass bleeds through heavily as it should with this type of genre. your head will be bobbing for hours after listening. there are a few brief moments are keyboard flurishes get a bit loud but it's all good. Rome is a worthy addition to the band, though his cleaner vocal style does not always lend itself to certain parts. on the other hand, lyrics that are serious and actual make some goddamn sense are a welcome addition to the SUBLIME formula.

YOURS TRULY is definately worth more than a few spins, but not many. when it's good, it's pretty damn awesome, but than there's the other half of the album. they haven't reinvented the wheel here, in fact, they somehow simplified it but not always to their advantage. still, SUBLIME (with ROME), it's good to have you back.

favorite track:  take it or leave it              ^click this shit up here