Sage Francis — Personal Journals
So what got me into the idea of reviewing this album so long after it got in shops all around the world? Well, I saw Sage live for the second time in a year last june, in the middle of my exams sessions. I needed a fucking break, you see. It was an Anticon night with Sole and Themselves. As usual, the latter gave an excellent concert but Sage Francis left the bigger impression. The man is a real frontman, a true performer, someone who can make whatever he wants with the audience, despite the language barrier. On stage, he just looks demented, a bit of a psycho, a nutter behind the mic. And people, that man does love lipsinging... I think he must have lipsung about 5 pop songs in an hour. Add to his presence the quality of his rapping and the cleverness of his texts... If he ever comes to play in your hometown, do not miss him. Great gig ahead, take my word...
Although this is Francis’ first properly released full-length, he is no newcomer. He sings in Art Official Intelligence (AOI), has released a couple of vinyl’s and EP’s with Non-prophets as well as his Sick... series (Sick of waiting tables, Sick of waging wars...). A busy bee that man is: since the release of Personal Journals, he toured Europe twice, recoded an album with Buck65 and another one with Non-prophets (both to be released in the coming months). He is also the first hiphop artist to sign on Epitaph. Oh and the man is straightedge.
Not being a producer himself, Sage Francis had the cream of “underground” hiphop producing the music for him. A few Anticon dudes (jel, Odd Nosdam, Alias, Mayonnaise) as well as some other “starts” of the said “underground” (Sixtoo, Controller 7, Mr Dibbs) and some of Sage’s usual partners in crime (Joe Beats, AOI).
Personal Journals starts with a blast: Crack Pipes, produced by Sixtoo. Nice guitar sample, double bass and some really heavy breakbeats.
“Meet me at the cross roads so I can have someone to walk in the light with...”.
Sixtoo is still handling the production on Different. Again a double bass sample and phat beats, less frantic than crack pipes. As it is the case on the whole album, great lyrics from Sage.
“I am different / In a different way / The only thing that stays the same is change / While people claim their states, I state my claims”.
Mayonnaise steps in for Personal Journalist, an excellent tune, a track to headband to would say metalheads... “Sage Francis/ Anti-socialite/ Secret Admirer/ Student Loaner/ Continental Drifter/ Professional Bootlegger/ Spin Doctor/ Self Referentialist/ Road Runner/ Personal Journalist.”
Inherited Scars is probably the most jazzy tune on the whole album, thanks to the sax.
“Is it my place to put a smile on your face? /Could I erase your body language telling you its all been said before? /Or change the words you wrote, exchanging your scars for my metaphors? /I'd add them to my collection while smiling. /Next time you want to paint with razor blades and need a canvas use my skin.”
Jel makes of Climb Trees another highlight of an album that doesn’t come short of great moments. It’s a classic jel tune, only not as “out there” as his work with Themselves.
“I have become the most sinister sin city clicker /cynical dim witted trixter /critical shit grinning hipster /Whisper...to my earhole...tell me not to be fearful.”
I’m less impressed by the next couple of tracks but when jel comes back on Smoke Mirrors with a very dark beat and some dope keyboard sounds, everything comes back to exceptional.
“I like the smell of coke. Get it? I powder my nose. /Power to hoes who pound on a hose while playing in a pound of snow. /I'm getting snow plowed, I KNOW.”
From Anticon to Anticon, Alias, “the godfather of goth-hop” steps in with a cool track, one to relax, nice piano and percussion’s, you feel as if you were in a dandy cafe. Not an usual Alias production, nice change!
“I'm a God damn misfit...mismatched, but never missed much.”
Eviction Notice is probably the weirdest track of the lot, no wonder it was produced by Odd Nosdam. Industrial beats, not really engaging but so fucking good. Sixtoo is back on Pitchers of silence with a phat beat on real drums, sounding damn lo-fi and dirty. Not the best track, still enjoyable. The best Sage is back with a vengeance on Specialist, beautifully produced by Controller 7. Next is a great piece where Sage raps on no music: Hopeless, a track that anyone who has seen him live will know and remember fondly. Then comes a track with a “scary” title: Kill ya Momz. I don’t want too... It’s a nice intermede that leads to one hell of a gem, Black Sweatshirt (Sixtoo again). Sounds like a chilled out track from a 1979 TV show à la Strsky and Hutch with nice flute, drums and bass.
“Women and men are pissed /When they kiss they exchange spit that is venomous. /Most of it is affection-less and the affects of this has us quick to clench a fist. /Don't get fancy with your paintbrush when you reminisce.”
Cup of tea (fifth and last Sixtoo production) is much less convincing. Then comes the funny bit: a Bob Seger cover, My name is strange (the one Metallica did) recorded live. Sage singing is bad but him and his band (Aoi) don’t care much. Fun, nothing more. The man is not afraid of anything... Personal Journals started with a blast and ends in similar fashion. Joe Beats (with Sage in Non-prophets) is responsible for Runaways, a wonder, a track deliciously nostalgic sounding, melancholy-driven. Piano, strings, straight to the point kinda beats, a 18 k song. Can’t wait for the Non-prophets album...
“My State is not an Ocean, not an Island, not a Rhode. /If I don't know where I come from then how do I know where to go? /It's not where you're from. Not where you're at. It's where you're going...and I am going home...
"To where?" The land of the lost souls. /Feeling a loneliness that really only exists in abandoned foster homes.”
A beautiful end for a great album. If you want to get an idea of what goes in non-MTV hiphop, this is an album you have to get. Not as fucked up as other Anticon CD’s, it is just full of wonderful tracks. And that should be enough.
Browse our archive for reviews of these fine Anticon artists: Themselves, Alias and Sole. More to come soon, of course...