Many of the guest appearances on
Big Boi's second solo album -- his third if you count
Speakerboxxx -- were not expected. A chance encounter with
Phantogram, facilitated by a music identification application, led to three of these songs. On "CPU,"
Phantogram fashion their hazy dream pop into low-wattage EDM. The MC likewise sounds more like the guest on the loopy
Wavves collaboration "Shoes for Running." Consecutive tracks with
Little Dragon fare 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. Bravest of all is "Tremendous Damage," a plaintive ballad in which
Big Boi sings with deep sincerity. 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. ~ Andy Kellman