| Co-honcho of the Bay Area's legendary Hieroglyphics collective, Del the Funky Homosapien (Teren Delvon Jones) boasts a hip-hop resume of indelibly cred-soaked pedigree. But Eleventh Hour, his largely self-produced fifth solo album--and first in eight years--lacks much of both the lyrical and instrumental verve of his best records. Committed mostly to slap-schticky attack-rap targeting one unspecified "you" or another, Eleventh Hour feels more like 1994's No Need for Alarm than Gorillaz' "Clint Eastwood," the iconic Deltron 3030, or he Funky Homosapien's seminal solo debut, I Wish My Brother George Was Here. Surprising turns of phrase and the occasional flair of free association remain, but these stylistic flourishes have been done so well and so many times before, not least by Del himself, that here it drops with far more familiarity than revelation. "Bubble Pop," "Foot Down," and "Str8t Up and Down" bounce with undeniable charisma, but Del's backing tracks often feel more like etudes than fully realized works. Of course, he's always been his revelatory freest when accompanied by brilliant others (da Lench Mob, Dan the Automator, Kid Koala, Damon Albarn), so if this is the sound of Del's Eleventh Hour, there may still be time for one more breathtaking collab. --Jason Kirk |
