P.O.S. -- We Don't Even Live Here

8/10

We Don't Even Live Here, P.O.S.' 4th album, has the bad luck of dinverging heavily from his 3rd album, Never Better, which is one of my favorites, and by "bad luck," I mean that, subjectively, Never Better is one of my favorite albums of all time and We Don't Even Live Here doesn't really sound like it, so I like it a little less than its predecessor. In lieu of Never Better's more organic. lived in, snowy street feel, We Don't Even Live Here is blunt, with a clubbier vibe. The musically diverse Never Better seemed to cover a vast amount of topics surrounding individualism, while We Don't Even Live Here is a direct call to anarchy.  There's plenty of talk about living off the grid, and out of society's rules, molotov cocktail's at the ready. A more straightforward musical palette backs this more straightforward lyrical content, with the (often live) percussion at times banging away, and P.O.S. rapping aggressively, right from the start.

If a line sums up the attitude of the album in general, it's "Black president, hooray for history! That shits totally pretend," on the standout"Wanted Wasted," one of We Don't Even Live Here's more subtle tracks, featuring a great guest appearance by Astronautalis, and some cool strings. Another standout, and essentially P.O.S.' manifesto, "Lockpicks, Knives, Bricks and Bats," showcases a stunning display of P.O.S.' prowess, as he raps over a powerful soundscape featuring nothing approaching a beat.
Despite having less variation than its predecessor, We Don't Even Live Here features enough of it, and wells of righteous anger at an unfair system its creator refuses to join, and that, along with P.O.S.' always engaging persona, is enough to carry the album far past the finish line.

2012 Rhymesayers Entertainment
1. Bumper  2:59
2. Fuck Your Stuff 3:53
3. How We Land (featuring Justin Vernon of Bon Iver) 4:00
4. Wanted Wasted (featuring Astronautalis) 4:20
5. They Can't Come (featuring Sims) 4:01
6. Lockpicks, Knives, Bricks and Bats 3:48
7. Fire in the Hole / Arrow to the Action 3:48
8. Get Down (featuring Mike Mictlan) 3:40
9. All of It 3:11
10. Weird Friends (We Don't Even Live Here) 2:48
11. Piano Hits (featuring Isaac Gale of Marijuana Deathsquads) 3:12