Originally published at Apollo Lemmon. Please leave any comments there.
Hot on the heals of Radiohead’s brilliant In Rainbows, Saul Williams just released his new album, The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust!, to the world through the ‘net. He ups the ante by releasing the album in a lossless FLAC format, as well as MP3 and OGG. It’s such a pleasure to be able to hear two of the best albums released this year without the hassle of middlemen and unnecessary hindrances like chunks of plastic and dinosaur promotion methods. Won’t it be wonderful if this direct method of delivering music takes off?
Delivery aside, this is a magnificent album. NiggyTardust! is the result of a collaboration between Saul and Nine Inch Nail’s Trent Reznor, and both are in fine form. As the title might suggest, this album holds a strange mix. Saul’s lyrics are richer with meaning and eloquence than ever as he again plays with mysticism, hip-hop and other disparate ingredients in a way that is unmatched. Reznor’s contribution gives the flavour of his past work to the album and his expertise in arrangement and production give it a distinct solidity. And there’s a sharp rendition of “Sunday Bloody Sunday”!
It’s just $5 USD (something minuscule for us Canadians) if you want to pay and free if you don’t, so there’s no excuse not to give it a listen, is there?