Goodie Mob: Age Against the Machine – review

The 18-track culmination of a reunion that's been brewing longer than the full line-up of Goodie Mob lasted first time around, Age Against the Machine feels less like a grand comeback statement to lay the group's demons to rest and more like sweeping up forgotten odds and ends from the studio. At its best, it's a reminder of the years when, along with Outkast, the Atlanta rap four-piece set the creative pace for Southern rap. On the frenetic, rousing Pinstripes, Goodie Mob and guest TI sound as hungry as in their youth; Valleujah marries a grumbling, twisting electro worm of a bassline to a triumphant hook. But too much of the album feels minor: interesting ideas that haven't been fully fleshed out (Cee-Lo Green bellowing about white power over zig-zagging guitar, the theatrical rap cabaret of Come As You Are) or misguided ideas that shouldn't have been fleshed out (Cee-Lo reminiscing about his "very first white girl" on Amy). Indeed, Cee-Lo' looms large over the album: perhaps the reunion took place on his terms, but the imbalance of ideas here is frustrating.