- Shortly after I had first moved out of home, and with the fresh memory of conquering high school like school like the slightly above average student that I was, already well-established Minneapolis rap group Atmosphere released an epic record that helped shape my existence as a young dude, having his first crack at life out in the real world. That album, When Life Gives You Lemons You Paint That Shit Gold, was an introverted, honest, and dark piece of music. Live instrumentation, programmed beats and poignant storytelling found a near perfect balance in a sea of cynicism lit with the faintest ray of hope. It's a beautifully crafted album that stills hold a dear place in my ever shrivelling heart, years after my young, dumb and ignorant self stumbled upon it.

I might still be dumb and ignorant but since then Atmosphere have never quite struck the same chord with me on that deep and personal a level. It's been six relatively ambiguous years since then, and in that time the group have slowed their roll just a little. Releasing one full-length and a double EP masquerading as a complete LP that, despite being extremely solid records, never inspired that same level of awe. Two more entries in a near untouchable catalogue, but one that was in danger of becoming a little stagnant if you thought about it too much.

In one fell swoop, Atmosphere's eighth LP Southsiders manages to spit out nearly the same amount of music as they'd produced in the six previous years: the complete package adding an extra quarter to the already hour-plus running time of the perennial underdogs' latest foray into winning me over once more. For those unaccustomed to Atmosphere's musical output, Southsiders at a first glance, is an overwhelming chunk of music and not the ideal place in which to first delve into the duo's deep waters. Instead it's another very strong entry by a group that after seventeen rock solid years have still remained firmly planted in reality and lingering in suburbia. A record that has rekindled some of that fire in my ever expanding belly.

The groups sole MC, Slug, now a forty-one year old man, is ageing gracefully if somewhat sedately. The record trades a little of his signature punch and self-deprecation for a few more slices of quiet contemplation and wisdom. Lyrically Slug continues to make up for his somewhat unextraordinary technique with superior word-play and thematic bravado and an honesty that is only partially undone by his occasional tendency to cheesiness.

Atmosphere's anti-gangsta mentality and social self-awareness has helped the group remain relevant and engaging despite hip-hop's ever changing musical landscape- and though this may not be the most direct port of call for the veteran duo, it remains one of the group's strongest records to date. Southsiders may not invoke those same feelings as the group once conjured up, but at this juncture of my life, perhaps that's for the best.

- Jay Edwards.