Understanding

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Editorial reviews

Amazon.co.uk Review
Understanding is the second album from Midlands-based crew New Flesh (previously known as New Flesh For Old) who dropped their spaced out, left-of-centre debut LP (Equilibrium) nearly three years ago. Since then, producer Part Two and MC's Juice Aleem and Toastie Tailor have honed their skills to a fine point in order to create this accessible and soulful follow-up. Understanding bears scant resemblance to its predecessor, except perhaps in its slightly futuristic feel in places and the forward-and-leftward looking nature of the people involved. It's hard to imagine anything comparing to label mate Roots Manuva's recent second album Run Come Save Me but this certainly comes close. Polished and well executed, it sacrifices the usual home-grown rawness for some immaculate and polished (but still underground and idiosyncratic) sounds that underpin straight-up red hot verbals and bashment-style ragga toasting. With guest spots from Anti-Pop Consortium's Beans, Blackalicious' Gift Of Gab and MC Ty, this LP continually surprises, eschewing trends and current fashions to beat its own path towards an original afro-ragga-punk manifesto. Madly alive, soulfully vibrant and true skool to the core, this is essential listening for open-minded ears. --Paul Sullivan

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Customer reviews

review by: carlitouk date: 2002-11-08 rating:
Understanding
Another highly original release from Big Dada, the label that also brought us Roots Manuva. Although I couldn't say this rates alongside Roots Manuva, this is an extremely different album to anything else I've heard.
Nominally a hip hop album due to the presence of the two emcees the music rarely drops into the groove we usually think of as rap. This isn't a bad thing as at times the beats make me think of hip hop 'LTJ Bukem style' if such a thing existed.
The track 'real child soldier' is incredibly poignant with the best lyrical flow and deepest meanings over a sparse yet smoked out rhythm. "Norbert and Cecil" is just a blinding tune with one of the strangest choruses I've ever heard- Roots Manuva's crazy bouncing delivery really gives the track a lift.
This is an album that you could file under 'hip hop' 'nu jazz' 'wierdbeat' or 'electronica' and because of that diversity its always got something new- this isn't an album you're likely to get bored of immediately but it's not an album for conservative genre followers either in my opinion.


review by: helenfromlondon date: 2002-03-14 rating:
Up there with Roots Manuva
This album is an excellent example of how good British Hip Hop really is. This is New Flesh's second album and certainly didn't fail to impress me after i had heard such good things about it from my friends. Real Child Soldier and Transition are tracks on this album which are top quality songs and if it were in the charts would do very well. For new comers to the British hip hop scene and others more expierienced this is a must have. Buy it!!!

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