Though it’s usually an irritating cop-out to compare a white rapper to Eminem, in the case of Chris Palko (a.k.a. Cage) it’s unavoidable. Both MCs occasionally bristle with energy, skill and originality; both have managed to translate a harrowing upbringing into compelling material; both have an unfortunate tendency to regress back to adolescence behind the mic; and both have released real clunkers in 2009.
While Depart From Me isn’t as mind-numbingly irrelevant as Relapse, it’s still gratuitous and uninspired. On the album, Palko is largely content to retread the same ground that he did on 2005’s Hell’s Winter. It’s understandable that his traumatic childhood, time in a psychiatric hospital and years of addiction continue to weigh heavily on Palko’s mind, but even he sounds tired of talking about the same old, same old. His rhymes and flow are fittingly disinterested on the album’s more serious numbers and dim-witted on the upbeat songs like “Teenage Hands” and “Fat Kids Need an Anthem.”
Couple this with the album seemingly trying to usher in a mid ’90s rap-rock revival — despite featuring production from the usually solid El-P and Aesop Rock — and departing from Depart From Me will be something listeners will want to do quickly.
Comments: 2
andiknowsmore wrote:
Following any of Palko's music/interviews, one would comply with a subtle transition, from his correlating past to his undetermined future.
The great thing that underlies this artist is his originality. He generates self-inspired emotion, and yet, still continues to deliver an uncanny word choice in his new album. Sure, "Teenage Hands" and "Fat Kids Need an Anthem" depreciate this cd a little, but one has to relate to his acclaimed and at the same time visceral attitude of what he wants to be portrayed to his audience. One also needs to take into consideration that some listeners want his old stuff, and some want him to move on with his life.
He remains obscure at times, but also somewhat changed with his songs like "Nothing Left to Say," "I Never Knew You," and "Look at What You Did." The music is still very much related and kosher to this artist's genre, but newly profound and effective. Although there has been much disarray to this album, believe it or not, the album still takes precedence to a new innovational meaning of the artist’s life. And, in comparison to Eminem, not only has Chris Palko endured a much greater past, but the artist brings a hell of a lot more to the table. This could clearly be administered into another subject, but the subject, now, is Cage, and his new-fangled album.
My advice, take what you like from this album and leave it that. This artist has more to look out for in the future of music.
-AJL
on Jul 24th, 2009 at 2:52pm Report Abuse
lookedlikegiants wrote:
on Jul 26th, 2009 at 2:51pm Report Abuse
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