Legendary R&B band Mint Condition usually takes a few years between albums, but their eighth studio album, Music @ the Speed of Life, comes out less than a year and a half after their previous release, 7... hit store shelves. Fortunately the new album, which drops Sept. 11, 2012 in the U.S., doesn't sound like a half-baked rush release. The 13 tracks here are -- with the exception of the mini-song two interludes -- all fully fleshed out tunes that carry forward the group's trademark sound of live instrumentation coupled with the strong vocals of lead singer Stokley. But although the group succeeds in creating a smooth, easy to listen to album, those who have been longtime fans of the band's music may feel a sense of deja vu while listening to this album because it sounds so much like much of their previous work.
Good News/Bad News
The good news, if you're a longtime Mint Condition fan, is that the band is virtually the same musical group that they have been for the past 20-plus years. Their 'Minneapolis style' of R&B has barely changed since their 1991 debut album, Meant to Be Mint. The bad news however, is that the band is virtually the same musical group that they've been for the past 20-plus years, and their style has barely changed since their 1991 debut album, Meant to Be Mint. The five-man band's formula for crafting songs has barely changed over the past two decades, and that's not necessarily a bad thing.
The album's opening track, ironically titled "In the Moment," is vintage Mint Condition, from the song's solid yet understated instrumentation down to Stokley's on-point vocals about a friendship that's on the verge of turning into a romance. And other songs, including "Blessed," "Slo Woman" and "What I Gotta Do" are all as solid as brick houses, and despite their almost eerily familiar vibe, none of the songs comes across as old or stale. But perhaps the most obvious example of the band's new-retro sound is the album's first single, "Believe in Us," which features a very subtle incorporation of the talk box device (similar to the one that the late Funk singer Roger Troutman used to use in his band Zapp and as a solo artist).
The album's opening track, ironically titled "In the Moment," is vintage Mint Condition, from the song's solid yet understated instrumentation down to Stokley's on-point vocals about a friendship that's on the verge of turning into a romance. And other songs, including "Blessed," "Slo Woman" and "What I Gotta Do" are all as solid as brick houses, and despite their almost eerily familiar vibe, none of the songs comes across as old or stale. But perhaps the most obvious example of the band's new-retro sound is the album's first single, "Believe in Us," which features a very subtle incorporation of the talk box device (similar to the one that the late Funk singer Roger Troutman used to use in his band Zapp and as a solo artist).
A Little Attitude
The talk box effect appears on a total of four songs on the album, courtesy of Bobby Ross Avila, Grammy-winning singer-songwriter who gained quite a bit of popularity back in the 1990s, but is virtually unknown to many contemporary urban music fans. It's Avila and two of the other guest artists on Music @ the Speed of Life that provide some of the album's bigger highlights. DJ Jazzy Jeff uses his turntable skills to add a subtle hip-hop dimension and a little attitude to "Girl of My Life," a song about falling for the wrong type of woman and having her do you wrong.
But the most outside-the-box track on the album is SixFortyNine/Changes," a six-minute jam featuring rapper Brother Ali who, like the members of the band, is from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Despite him being from the group's home area, Ali's participation here is something of a surprise, since his militant brand of in-your-face political rap is counter to the band's usual message of peace and love. Fortunately, the two styles actually mesh together really well. In fact, Ali gives the music a huge creative shot in the arm.
Although this is an album with few real flaws, the one major argument than can be made against it is that it suffers from creative inertia. After over two decades of producing their own music, it may be time for the band to loosen the creative reigns a little to allow some more collaborators into their midst. After all, judging by the contributions by Jazzy Jeff and Brother Ali, a little fresh blood may breathe new life into a formula that might eventually grow stale.
But the most outside-the-box track on the album is SixFortyNine/Changes," a six-minute jam featuring rapper Brother Ali who, like the members of the band, is from the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. Despite him being from the group's home area, Ali's participation here is something of a surprise, since his militant brand of in-your-face political rap is counter to the band's usual message of peace and love. Fortunately, the two styles actually mesh together really well. In fact, Ali gives the music a huge creative shot in the arm.
Although this is an album with few real flaws, the one major argument than can be made against it is that it suffers from creative inertia. After over two decades of producing their own music, it may be time for the band to loosen the creative reigns a little to allow some more collaborators into their midst. After all, judging by the contributions by Jazzy Jeff and Brother Ali, a little fresh blood may breathe new life into a formula that might eventually grow stale.
Disclosure: A review copy was provided by Shanachie Entertainment. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.