We’re New Here

iTunes Review

Gil Scott-Heron’s 2010 release, I’m New Here was a terrific comeback album that showed Heron’s voice was still one of anti-authority power. His brilliant social observations that made a name for him back in the ‘70s are still here with the same determination. This remix album by Jamie of the xx is a suitable mash-up of that album’s sparse arrangements and jazzy spoken-word pieces. The extra beats and spacey keyboard bits make this an interstellar version of the original session. Gil Scott-Heron, by way of Jamie xx, goes electro-clash and into the dub chambers until the entire album sounds like a series of studio experiments that could’ve been birthed back in the ‘80s when the Clash, Public Image Ltd. and Brian Eno and David Byrne were discovering the uses of Jamaican dub and instrumental washes. The high weirdness here of “Ur Soul and Mine,” “I’m New Here,” “NY Is Killing Me” and “I’ll Take Care Of U” makes for hypnotic listening. But one should also be aware of Gil Scott Heron’s I’m New Here album. This album is meant as a companion piece to that release and makes far more sense in that context.