Eminem – Relapse Review

1 June 2009, Spencer @ 8:15 pm Eminem Relapse Review

After a 4-year hiatus of addiction and recovery, Eminem is finally back with Relapse. The Detroit MC is releasing the album as the first of two discs, with Relapse 2 set to drop later this year. As the name implies, the CD has a major drug theme, especially prescription drugs. It’s a rare song that doesn’t have a reference to Valium, Zantac, or Nyquil. While his last two studio albums moved toward lighter, less controversial lyrics, Mathers seems to relapse (har har) on this latest disc. The abundance of shock lyrics about incest, rape, and murder over minimalist Dr. Dre beats channels 1999’s The Slim Shady LP, especially with the re-introduction of Slim Shady, Eminem’s more controversial persona.

While Eminem tires out some shock avenues, others still feel like a punch to the gut. ‘Insane’ describes an incestuous rape scene with a kid and his stepfather, a sure way to make you want to puke. Other attempted shock songs stumble a bit: ‘Medicine Ball’ throws worn-out shots at Christopher Reeves. If you’re able to get past the lyrics of most of these shock songs, the music behind is not bad at all. ‘Same Song & Dance’ has a catchy rhythm that had me tapping my foot once I got over the fact that the song was about murdering Lindsay Lohan and Britney Spears.

A few songs on the album move away from vulgar shock stories as Mathers opens up some self-reflection. In these few gems Eminem goes through his own addiction and recovery with blunt, objective, self-reflection. Throughout all the shots at his mom and at celebrities on Relapse, he ends up being hardest on himself. ‘Beautiful’ combines his own insecurities with the uplifting theme: “Don’t let ‘em say you ain’t beautiful.” ‘Deja Vu’ and ‘My Mom’ are self-loathing tirades on how he has become what he hated growing up. The album really fleshes out once Mathers is able to get away from tired celebrity references and old shock songs.

‘Relapse’ is a hit and miss album. While all the songs are musically good, Eminem tries too hard sometimes to throw shots at other people even after it becomes obvious that the only person he should be lambasting is himself. If you want to actually appreciate the album, don’t just listen to it once. Let yourself get past the vulgarity and be able to appreciate it for the musical talent, because in Relapse, Eminem shows us that four years away from music hasn’t hindered his ability to rap.

AWmusic