Gil Scott- Heron - I’m New Here

The rap man returns

Thirteen years, a battle with addiction and a custodial sentence later, Gil Scott-Heron returns with a fresh new album. Fans who expect the 70s sound of jazz-funk and, of course, Gil’s unmistakeable voice, will perhaps be a little disappointed as the former two attributes of his earlier work are in short supply here.

The production is a bleak, industrial hip-hop sound running underneath mainly spoken word tracks, with a number of very short interludes spaced between the longer cuts. There are some great tracks, such as New York Is Killing Me, which is pure handclap-driven blues with the underlying hip-hop fusion making for something absolutely mesmerising. Sidewalk junkies are spoken of in the somehow unsettling, buzzing Crutch, while I’ll Take Care Of You adds a little relief to the harsh industrial mix, with grand piano and strings softening the sound and coming closest to the Gil of old.

Ultimately, I’m New Here is a much more retrospective album than Gil’s previous work; happily, his lyrics remain as observant, incisive and creative as ever. This is prime Scott-Heron, older and wiser maybe, and still breaking new ground – as he’s always done.

4 stars 4 stars 4 stars 4 stars

XL | tbc

Reviewed by Michael de Koningh
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