Eventually, I knew I had to get around to reviewing this. I've had the album for months, but Eminem is a tough listen for me. I really didn't like his live album, Relapse, which I establish to be unncessarily violent and misogynistic without much pop appeal. Thankfully, Recovery has a lot of pop appeal, although it's an interesting twist of how hip-hop can appropriate pop into something sinister and sinister.Sure Recovery features Pink and Rihanna and draws samples from some highly recognizable sources, but nothing about Eminem is always light or breezy. The variety of wicked goofiness that he showed on his earlier work, such as "Without Me" or "The Real Slim Shady" is absent here.Instead, the album is dominated by plodding, dark, guitar-driven songs that hybridize rap and pop, often with a great sample.He skirts the dance pop stylings of Rihanna in favour of her darker side on "Love the Way You Lie," the domestic abuse drama that became one of the year's biggest hits. Intriguing "Space Bound" interpolates R.E.M.'s dark burner, "Drive," and "25 to Life," which features vocalist Liz Rodrigues, has a welcome laid back feel touched with a bit of sadness. He even manages to play a dance pop sample-Haddaway's "What Is Love"-into something sinister on "No Love," with Lil Wayne in tow for some extra cred. It's a more clever sampling than using Black Sabath's "Changes" on "Passing Through Changes," which doesn't have much creativity."Not Afraid" shoots for an epic sound and scores, another album highlight. P!nk, shows up on "Won't Back Down," a soulful, upbeat jam-one of the fewhere. Prominent electric guitar lends a rock air to "Talkin' 2 Myself."I mind to this album, and about of the songs are good, but it simply doesn't grab me. I love it will likely win the Album of the Year Grammy Award, which it probably deserves, but I'm just not a big fan of his. I'm thankful that this album doesn't show the form of violent misogyny I found so repellent on his live album, Relapse, but I want he would brighten up a little more.Best: Love the Way You Lie, Not Afraid, No Love, Space Bound, Won't Back Down
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