Atmosphere: When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold (Review)

Slug and Ant are never the type to back down with their music. Making up the Minneapolis hip-hop duo Atmosphere, their unique style has launched them to the pinnacle of indie rap. Slug, the idiosyncratic emcee of Atmosphere, unleashes personal narratives at breakneck pace. While Ant, hip-hop’s most criminally underrated producer, creates consistently beautiful soundscapes that set the tone for each Atmosphere track, and still mesh perfectly with each of Slug’s raps. Their newest album, When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, delivers the same innovative sound that Atmosphere fans have grown to love and more, not to mention one of the best album titles in years. Lemons is their most sonically ambitious release yet, and provides for a spectacular musical experience.

The album’s two lead singles, “Shoulda Known” and “Guarantees,” differ drastically and display Atmosphere’s musical versatility. The former track is dominated by an impressive, winding bass line as Slug laments on a regrettable sexual encounter. The latter is one of the most original Atmosphere songs in their substantial repertoire. The track is driven solely by a continuous electric guitar loop. Slug manages to hold his own, and is one of the few rappers with the cadence and storytelling prowess to sound so natural over such a minimalist track.

Slug has always had a few favorite topics to rap about, primarily women, alcohol, and drugs. This is no different on Lemons. What makes Slug such a special lyricist is his inventiveness in approaching every song. On “The Skinny,” he makes a surprisingly well-reasoned comparison between cigarettes and the life of a pimp. Slug does occasionally digress from his usual subjects on other songs, usually with magnificent results. “Yesterday” is an emotional track on which Slug reminisces about his late father. “In Her Music Box” appears to be a semi-autobiographical tale about Slug and his relationship with his daughter. Though we may never know for certain, as Slug keeps his personal life very private.

As for the production on Lemons, Ant is as close to flawless as he has ever been. He makes the beats that other producers wish they could. The production on this album is much less sample-oriented than on previous works. Most songs on the album feature actual musicians, allowing Ant to tweak any detail of each instrumental until it’s exactly right. The beats on Lemons are also very diverse, thus changing the tone from one song to the next. From the ominous, echoing piano on “Puppets,” to the funky groove of “You,” to the manic nature of “Can’t Break,” Ant expresses complete mastery over every aspect of every track.

For the customers who still purchase the hard copy of albums, Lemons is a pretty sweet deal. There is a deluxe version of the record that comes complete with a short children’s novel written by Slug and Ant, as well as a DVD from one of Atmosphere’s recent live shows in Minneapolis. This album is not perfect, but it comes awfully close. The bottom line is that no one in hip-hop sounds like Atmosphere, and that is why they are so great.

Rating: 9/10


BONUS CUT: Atmosphere's video for "Shoulda Known"