Reviews
"...Unique fusions of harmony-led AOR...Sly and Funkadelic, fragile singing and Eminemesque raps, conscious '70s soul, '80s synth-pop and Hendrix-esque rock...", 7 Out of 10-"...Alluring....Bearing a Suprising Similarity to Modern Metal...", "...The new, revamped album replaces their signature spartan-techno grooves with rock guitars, drums, pianos, and other oldfangled instruments....has a crackling vigor..." - Rating: A-, Ranked #40 in Nme's 50 "Albums of the Year 2001in, 8 out of 10 - "...Ace genre-mashing...the addition of a band to their previously electronic album makes the record weirder, punching up the rock that was merely implicit on the previous version. That's 'rock' as in rap rock, alt-rock and Paisley Park psych rock and even country rock...", 4 stars out of 5 - "...A striking escape from mere genre....A swaggering, rock-friendly counterpoint to the likes of Outkast. And no less essential, either.", Ranked #20 in Wire's "50 Records of the Year 2001in, 5 stars out of 5 - "...They're on some kind of early Seventies cosmic/social conscience trip....This year's STANKONIA...", Included in Rolling Stone's "50 Best Albums of 2002in, 8 out of 10 - "...Awash with fuzzy-warm highs, hazy cosmic visions and exquisite ripples in the fabric of R&B as we know it...", Ranked #9 on Spin's List of 2002's "Albums of the Year", "...The album embodies an ubridled passion for music and for the aesthetics of pure sound....There's a bit of musical irony here, when happy, elementary grooves are undercut by a dirty, almost invasive, guitar licks...", 4 stars out of 5 - "...The music is good....It's a crunch groove that's part Timbaland, part Afrika Bambaataa and part STAR TREK on Ecstasy...", Ranked #4 on Ew's List of 2002's "Albums of the Year", 3.5 Discs Out of 5-"...A Complete Departure, but with Aural Candy this Flavorful, Who Cares?", "Nobody HAD Put Rap, Funk Androck Together in Quite the Same Way As N.E.R.D Did on Their Début...", Ranked #9 in Mojo's "Best Albums of 2002in
