The title of Gil Scott-Heron’s first album in 16 years is an outright lie — the singer, poet and musician has been part of the cultural fabric since releasing “The Revolution Will Not Be Televised” in 1971. But despite his influence on black culture in general and political soul and hip hop specifically, he’s slipped from the public consciousness.

Expect that to change with I’m New Here. Though the album is brief and punctuated with spoken-word fragments, Scott-Heron makes the most of his half-hour in the spotlight. Left turns abound, from the Bill Callahan-penned title track (little more than an acoustic guitar and Scott-Heron’s world-ravaged voice) to the remarkable “New York is Killing Me,” which places a pulsing bass and gospel choir atop a shockingly minimal beat. “Me and the Devil” is equally striking, raising Robert Johnson by way of Tricky. Scott-Heron isn’t new here, but he’s anything but a relic.