It’s been 40 years since Gil Scott-Heron told us that the revolution would not be televised, and Heron feels a need to reintroduce himself with I’m New Here. The title track is actually a cover of a song by folkster Smog—finger-picked guitar and mostly spoken words that intimate, “I did not become someone different, that I did not want to be, but I’m new here.” He goes on to explain, “Turn around turn around turn around / You may come full circle / I’m new here again.” This is a little different from what you might expect from this soul master and proto hip-hop musician. Musically, the whole record’s full of surprises. XL Recordings founder Richard Russell—who cut his teeth in the early-‘90s UK rave scene—handles production duties, finding deep electronic grooves that still contain hints of soul and gospel music. “On Coming From a Broken Home (Pt. 1)” and closer “On Coming From a Broken Home (Pt. 2)” set a poetic narrative about a trying upbringing over...
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