roots manuva - alternately deep
following hot on the heels of last years well received, and deservedly so, 'awfully deep', comes this mid-priced collection of b-sides, downloads, exclusives and cutting room floor extras. naturally with most of the tracks being produced alongside the album there is a lot of sonic connection. there is the same love for deep bass, deep-n-n-dark electro infused beats, touch up with sideways glances to dancehall, grime, all wrapped up with rodney's non-party themed lyrics.
so doom laden are the lyrics throughout the album, there is an overall feel of one man still coming to terms with his recent troubles. while this makes for a refreshing change from the usual thugged up wordplay, it can become somewhat draining over the course of several tracks to be inundated with such negativity. luckily roots also has a positive inner urge to make genre defying hip hop, subsequently, a looped sample and simple beat aint going to cut it on a roots album that's for sure, so the production is constantly throwing up some wonderful curveballs. i mean, personally the deeper-than-deep funk of 'things we do' is beyond reproach. if you think massive attack have the dark beats sorted, then you have to hear this track, when it then morphs into 'check it (remix)', which slightly ups the tempo and drops a digital reggae loop into the riddim then i am totally won over.
basically, if you like the album proper, then this has to be heard as well, simple as that.
details :
1. no love
2. seat yourself (miami mix)
3. double drat
4. nobody's dancing
5. things we do
6. check it (remix)
7. get u high
8. colossal insight (jammer remix and revox)
9. mean street
10. pep my game
11. this world is mine (plan b studio version)
12. grown man
1. released on "too cold" cd single
2. unreleased alternate mix
3. download release in 2004.
4. unreleased
5. released on "colossal insight" 2 track cd single
6. unreleased alternate mix
7. unreleased
8. unreleased edit of "colossal insight" vinyl and maxi cd release
9. unreleased
10. hhc exclusive download
11. unreleased
12. unreleased