P.O.S.

Never Better

(Rhymesayers)

Record Review by Adam McKibbin

Minneapolis MC P.O.S. grew up in the school of punk.  He may not have wound up rocking the mic in quite the manner he once envisioned, but there’s enough of the edge remaining in his veins that he’s been a tourmate of the hardcore band Underoath – and he’ll be spending this summer hitting the stages of the Warped Tour.  That doesn’t make him an anomaly, of course; even Eminem is a Warped alum.  But few have blended the worlds so successfully, and it’s because P.O.S. doesn’t try to do some silly 50/50 genre hybrid experiment; it’s a hip-hop album laced with some of his formative influences.   Never Better is a tough and often thrilling album.

The tellingly titled – and exhilarating – “Drumroll (We’re All Thirsty)” busts out with growling guitars and a forceful chorus shout-along.   It’s a speed demon that sounds brainy, but still comes ready to brawl.  Some wags have speculated about the fate of political punk and hip-hop in the Obama era; would it soften up?  P.O.S. dispenses with that in short order, coming out of the gates strong with “Let It Rattle.”  “They out for presidents to represent them,” he says.  “You think a president could represent you?  You really think a president would represent you?”

The momentum sustains with the scratched-up jam “Savion Glover” (in which the fatcats “dance away clean” like the title character) and the driving “Purexed,” which again features that rapidfire percussion, mixed with some electro-pop background ambience and a typically nimble lyrical flow.  The track sequencing continues to pay dividends, as the tone grows darker on “Graves (We Wrote the Book)” then swells back up for the soulfully up-tempo “Goodbye.”  Only then does Never Better hit its first mediocre track (“Get Smokes”) – and it makes a quick recovery. 

As the album wears on, the highlights continue.  “Low Light Low Life” tears a sad page from the headlines, inspired by the economic collapse.  Whether tackling big issues or smaller character studies, P.O.S. is a first-rate narrator.  The relatively tranquil “Optimist (We Are Not For Them)” has a laidback, old-school charm, while the title track features some subtle hooks that linger a long while.  Sandwiched between the tracks is “Terrorish,” featuring throat-shredding guest vocals from None More Black “singer” Jason Shevchuk.   The variety serves P.O.S. well, and makes Never Better an album worth returning to – repeatedly and from top to bottom.