Many of the guest appearances on
Big Boi's second solo album -- his third if you count
Speakerboxxx -- were not expected. Most of them qualify as inharmonious experiments. A chance encounter with
Phantogram, facilitated by a music identification application, led to three of these songs. On "CPU," the most awkward one of the bunch,
Phantogram fashion their hazy dream pop into low-wattage EDM, their feathery chorus disconnected from
Big Boi's verses. The MC likewise sounds more like the guest on the loopy
Wavves collaboration "Shoes for Running"; it's more of a mismatch than his spot on
Carlos Santana's "My Man." Consecutive tracks with
Little Dragon fare somewhat better. The creeping "Thom Pettie," in which
Big Boi is the dominant voice, is a highlight, while "Mama Told Me," co-written by the beloved Swedish hybrid group, is pleasant enough but more of a light robo-funk platform for lead singer
Kelly Rowland.
Big Boi adapts to the unfamiliar surroundings with little effort and often sounds comfortable, but the fusions are short on power. Despite not featuring a known indie act, "Apple of My Eye," involving a co-producer and singer named
Jake Troth, incorporates a tepid bopping sound. Bravest of all is "Tremendous Damage," a plaintive ballad in which
Big Boi sings with deep sincerity, but one can almost hear a switch flip toward the end of the first verse, when he shifts from crooning into one of his familiar methods of delivery. The more potent tracks include the blaring/booming "In the A," featuring
Big Boi and
T.I. in rapid-fire mode (and
Ludacris in beat-over-check-cashing mode), the offhandedly boastful and
Sleepy Brown-enhanced "The Thickets," and the stirring ATL-meets-Minneapolis folk-funk closer, "Descending," yet another
Little Dragon hook-up. [A Deluxe Edition featuring three bonus tracks was also released.] ~ Andy Kellman