Upchurch might still subscribe to the thick, heavy hick-hop throb that has been his signature from the start, but there's a difference on
Supernatural, his eighth album: he's taking everything seriously. This doesn't mean he doesn't crack a joke here and there on
Supernatural -- humor is part of his DNA -- but this feels deadly sober in a way his other records don't. Just as welcome, he will occasionally play with his rhythms -- "Mohican" comes dangerously close to being an R&B shuffle -- and these subtle but notable changes make this his best record to date. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine