The Hard Sell is right--as a person who usually finds any release by this duo sensational, I am not blown away by this project. The Hard Sell lacks the impeccable chemistry and air tight timing of some of their earlier collaborations, and the result is messy and haphazard.This is not to say that there are no moments of greatness--there certainly are. However, in this hour of mash ups I've found no more than 20 minutes of excellence, and unfortunately these minutes are not consecutive.
Their technique hasn't changed much: old soul and interesting sound bytes are mixed with elements of modern hip-hop. This has worked for them before; Product Placement and Brainfreeze are enjoyable from beginning to end. But The Hard Sell just falls short. Many of the sound bytes feel out of place, and some of them are just downright disruptive. I could tolerate this if the music felt natural. Unfortunately, much of it feels forced and destroys the rhythm of the album.
As I read through this review it sounds pretty damn negative, perhaps too much so. As I mentioned, it does have its moments, and any DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist fan should at least give it a chance. They are two talented individuals, and I will approach anything they release down the road with an open mind. However, in my playlists, The Hard Sell isn't ever going to make as many appearances as their other projects.
Anyway, here's the link.
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