Although Eminem's name is on a new CD for the first time in more than two years, fans shouldn't rush to call this one a comeback.
For starters, Eminem raps on only about one-third of the 22 tracks, and even when he's on the microphone, he spits his lines with the same affected growl that has often dragged down his more serious material.
That he's trying to seem hard is no surprise: "The Re-Up," despite its slick production, is meant to sound like the kind of underground mix tape you'd buy on the street.
When Eminem isn't complaining about getting passed up on best-rapper lists or being lambasted by critics, he defers to friends and D-12 posse mates, who spend the remainder of the album's bloated length bragging and detailing ultra-violent fantasies.
Eminem produced many of the tracks himself, and, considering the bland results, he would have been wise to cede more control to the Alchemist, who's behind Stat Quo's standout "Tryin' ta Win."
Kenneth Partridge, special to The Hartford Courant Each successive release from Sloan becomes a bigger event for its fans, and the band's eighth full-length, "Never Hear the End of It," is bound to have them debating in earnest.
Is this the group's greatest statement so far or just an interesting experiment? You be the judge of the 30 tracks and nearly 80 minutes of seamless music that comprise the record.
You'd think there might be some filler in there somewhere.
Guitarists Patrick Pentland and Jay Ferguson, bassist Chris Murphy and drummer Andrew Scott can't seem to come up with a weak idea.
The harmony vocals float along throughout, and Sloan pulls out everything from its bag of tricks - '60s bubblegum, '70s rock, power-pop, acoustic folk, piano balladry and psychedelia. Every twist and turn the group takes is a treat and keeps the disc oddly focused for all the variety it contains.
"Never Hear the End of It" proves what an undeniable shame it is that these Canadian indie rockers aren't one of the biggest bands in the world.
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