Is this good?

DJ Shadow (aka Josh Davis) occupies a special place en mi corazon.

My mom never breast fed me because her breasts couldn't lactate milk. True story. Instead, her mammary glands reproduced Shadow's electric rhythms and sugary percussion hits in the highest of fidelities. Titty-hi-fi. This nourishment of vibrations traveled down my esophagus, through my stomach's sphincter and deep into the core of my gut where it still resides. The funk never left. I gotta whole bag of funk in my 1985 Oldsmobile trunk.

Entroducing was just a naughty sandwich sprinkled with rainbow sprinkles. I still think Dan the Automator should probably get more credit for that album than Shadow, but whatev. The cleanliness of the Private Press was due to the lack of any collaboration with His Automator-ness. Cleanliness in this instance being more on the pejorative side. Dan is the bringer of all that is dirty, just look at the difference between the first Gorillaz album and the second. While I listened to the second a lot, the first still has more replay value. Anyway, I digress.

Undoubtedly the Private Press and Entroducing were Mr. Davis' finest offerings. The live stuff is wicka-wicka-wild-wild-west also but it's a different experience. You don't have the hermetically sealed zip lock taste with the live stuff. Freeze was very poorly recorded. This was unfortunate too because them's some tasty corn fritters. Not to say that you shouldn't eat it. You should. It will make your LDL's and Triglyceride levels jump off charts.

Shadow came out with The Outsider in '06. Everyone talked a lot of shit on this album so there is little need for me to add much here. Suffice to say it's like your parents saying their disappointed. The funk was still locked in that trunk, don't get me wrong. It gave me optimism in my hour of need.

So now you have his latest which brings us full circle to the title of this entry. Is this good? Because I think it isn't. Or at the very least I am confused. It sounds like early 90's industrial techno, more specifically drum and bass. I love Aphex Twin but no one can be Aphex Twin but Aphex Twin. To get on that level you need synesthesia.

It doesn't bring me anywhere special. It doesn't push any boundaries or special buttons. In fact, he is pushing too many buttons - computer and MPC ones. He used to rub his fingers on the wax and added the MPC for flair. Now its one giant Starcraft love-fest.

You can't fight the funk and because of that I am still optimistic but cautiously.

Keep your fingers crossed mi amigos.