I'm New Here
Encyclopedia
I'm New Here is a departure from the rhythmic, jazz-funk
and soul
style of Scott-Heron's previous work, and embraces an acoustic and electronic minimal sound. Musically, I'm New Here incorporates blues
, folk
, trip hop
, and electronica
styles. Music writer Patrick Taylor notes of the album's style, "It's the ragged, warts-and-all approach of the blues versus the more refined jazz soul style he favored in the seventies". It also contains some musical elements of dubstep
, electro, and ambient music
. Some music writers viewed it as a "post-modern
" blues album.
The album contains a sonically dark and gritty soundscape characterized by low-tone synths and spacial beats. Due to its sparse sound and minimalist production, music writers have compared it to singer-songwriter Johnny Cash
's American Recordings
albums with producer Rick Rubin
. Crawdaddy!
s David MacFadden-Elliott wrote that Richard Russell's production finds "deep electronic grooves that still contain hints of soul and gospel music", while critic Neil McCormick noted that the album's musical setting produced by Russell "blends dubby beats with spoken word and raw, confessional blues", describing the musical fusion as "like Massive Attack
jamming with Robert Johnson and Allen Ginsberg
".
Scott-Heron's baritone
vocals on the album stylistically range from spoken word
to blues-oriented crooning. Music writers have noted that Scott-Heron's vocal ability has changed, perceiving it as rougher, slurred, and aged. Music journalist Simon Price
described his voice on the album as "bourbon-soaked".
is now in his own autumn; a season replete with both beauty and sadness". The Skinnys Bram Gieben perceived "flashes of Burroughs
-like darkness, the wry humour of post-addiction Richard Pryor
" in Scott-Heron's performance. Although Scott-Heron's lyrics concerning his bleak life experiences are understated and reflective, they express pride, dignity, defiance, and unapologetic confession. According to Robert Ferguson of Drowned in Sound
, Scott-Heron expresses "confession, but no apology" to "pick over the bones of his life, acknowledging the hard times and his own mistakes, but standing proud of all they have led him to become".
string loop from Kanye West
's "Flashing Lights
" (2007). It is a tribute to the women in his family, particularly Scott-Heron's grandmother Lily Scott, with whom he was sent to live as a child in Tennessee. The song reflects on his upbringing around strong female figures and challenges the sociological perception of a broken home: "Womenfolk raised me, and I was full-grown before knew I came from a broken home". It defends Scott-Heron's upbringing and arguing that his grandmother's love and devotion taught him passionate humanity, despite lacking of a positive male figure. According to music writers, "On Coming from a Broken Home" introduces and concludes the album's prominent theme of unapologetic confession.
"Your Soul and Mine" adapts lyrics from Scott-Heron's spoken word piece "The Vulture", originally featured on Small Talk at 125th and Lenox
(1970). It contains a dubstep-styled collage of effects over a cello loop similar to the style of Burial
and Massive Attack. The song's blank verse
recitation discusses the evils, represented as a metaphorical vulture, that inhabit and destroy African-American ghettos. The "vulture" also represents death from Scott-Heron's point of view, who concludes the song with the theme of defiance:
. It debuted at number 181 on the US Billboard 200
chart with first week sales of 3,700 copies. It also entered at number 28 on Billboards Top Independent Albums
, at number 6 on its Top Jazz Albums, and at number 38 on its Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
chart. The album also entered at number 35 in Ireland and at number 39 in the United Kingdom. It also debuted at number six on the UK R&B Chart
. It spent two to three weeks on most international charts. The album's lead single, "Me and the Devil", was released on February 22, 2010 as a 7" and music download. It did not chart as a single on the Billboard charts.
s. At Metacritic
, which assigns a normalized
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
score of 78, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic editor Thom Jurek gave it four out of five stars and commented that it "contains the artful immediacy that distinguishes Scott-Heron’s best art". Siddharta Mitter of The Boston Globe
praised Russell's production and stated "the swirling miasma of sound wholly suits Scott-Heron’s mood, which is angry yet humble, and even more his voice, which is rich and intent as ever". Jesse Serwer of The Washington Post
described it as an "invigorating yet draining listening experience" and commended Scott-Heron's "wizened poetry". Darren Lee of MusicOMH
called the album "a remarkably honest and self-reflective collection". Delusions of Adequacy's Bryan Sanchez called it "an outstanding album and one of beauty and substance". The Daily Telegraph
s Neil McCormick noted "lyrics of depth, wisdom and experience, a voice rich with musicality, all set in a sonic context that locates him in the present moment". Rupert Howe of Q
commented that Russell's arrangements "brilliantly frame [Scott-Heron]'s rich burr and terse street poetry with brooding electronica and stark blues handclaps". Mojo
s Paul Trynka complimented its "stark grandeur".
However, Chicago Sun-Times
writer Jim DeRogatis
found its sound "alien and unsuccessful" and described Scott-Heron's performance as "bland philosophizing and surprisingly hollow personal reflections". Will Layman of PopMatters
called the album "a thin affair—musically weak and lyrically narrow", perceiving its material as "unimaginative" and panning its musical structure. Giving it two out of four stars, Chicago Tribune
writer Greg Kot
described it as a "postmodern blues album as conceived sometime between closing time and sunrise, a dark-night-of-the-soul lament in which the artist tosses and turns while mumbling and slurring his words", while noting its minimal production and concise composition as flaws. Despite viewing its brevity and "fragmented nature" as weaknesses, John Lewis of Uncut
called the album "a brave, brilliant and highly personal statement". Slant Magazine
's Jesse Cataldo complimented its unconventional structure and called it "post-structural, indefinably plotted" and "masterfully stark". Rolling Stone
writer Will Hermes described it as "a steely blues record at heart — the sound of a damaged man staring in the mirror without self-pity but not without hope". Andy Gill of The Independent
commented that "As with the man, so with this album: it might fall short in some regards, but such is the heart and the mind involved that what little is left should be treasured accordingly".
Andy Beta of Spin
wrote that the album "isn't so much a comeback as a testament to spiritual resilience". John Doran of NME
called Scott-Heron a "copper-bottomed genius" and viewed the album's sparse beats as "in keeping with the apocalyptic blues contained within". The Village Voice
s Stacey Anderson complimented Scott-Heron's thematic departure from his previous work, stating "it's more emotional, more optimistic, than his past political provocations, and he hasn't sounded this lively in ages". Jason P. Woodbury of Tiny Mix Tapes
commented that "It’s the sound of a proud man swallowing his pride while preserving his dignity, of a wise man sharing instead of lecturing, doing so with bleak humor, pathos, and dark charm". Boston Phoenix writer Mikael Wood commented that "Drug trouble, family strife, too many years spent behind bars: Scott-Heron is unsparing in his confessions, as producer Richard Russell fashions a kind of creaky industrial folk music". Dan Cairns of The Sunday Times
called it "an extraordinarily powerful album", noting "unsparing autobiographical interludes, set to ghostly electro ambience and doomy bass, frame covers [...] and superb Scott-Heron originals". In his consumer guide for MSN Music
, critic Robert Christgau
gave I'm New Here an honorable mention rating, indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy".
Jazz-funk
Jazz-funk is a sub-genre of jazz music characterized by a strong back beat , electrified sounds, and often, the presence of the first electronic analog synthesizers...
and soul
Soul music
Soul music is a music genre originating in the United States combining elements of gospel music and rhythm and blues. According to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, soul is "music that arose out of the black experience in America through the transmutation of gospel and rhythm & blues into a form of...
style of Scott-Heron's previous work, and embraces an acoustic and electronic minimal sound. Musically, I'm New Here incorporates blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
, folk
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
, trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, and electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
styles. Music writer Patrick Taylor notes of the album's style, "It's the ragged, warts-and-all approach of the blues versus the more refined jazz soul style he favored in the seventies". It also contains some musical elements of dubstep
Dubstep
Dubstep is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in south London, England. Its overall sound has been described as "tightly coiled productions with overwhelming bass lines and reverberant drum patterns, clipped samples, and occasional vocals"....
, electro, and ambient music
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
. Some music writers viewed it as a "post-modern
Postmodernism
Postmodernism is a philosophical movement evolved in reaction to modernism, the tendency in contemporary culture to accept only objective truth and to be inherently suspicious towards a global cultural narrative or meta-narrative. Postmodernist thought is an intentional departure from the...
" blues album.
The album contains a sonically dark and gritty soundscape characterized by low-tone synths and spacial beats. Due to its sparse sound and minimalist production, music writers have compared it to singer-songwriter Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
's American Recordings
American Recordings (album)
American Recordings is a Grammy Award-winning album by the country singer Johnny Cash. It was released in April 1994 , the first album issued by American Recordings after its name change from Def American...
albums with producer Rick Rubin
Rick Rubin
Frederick Jay "Rick" Rubin is an American record producer and the co-president of Columbia Records. Along with Russell Simmons, Rubin was the co-founder of Def Jam Records and also established American Recordings...
. Crawdaddy!
Crawdaddy!
Crawdaddy! was the first U.S. magazine of rock and roll music criticism. Created in 1966 by college student Paul Williams in response to the increasing sophistication and cultural influence of popular music, Crawdaddy! was self-described as "the first magazine to take rock and roll...
s David MacFadden-Elliott wrote that Richard Russell's production finds "deep electronic grooves that still contain hints of soul and gospel music", while critic Neil McCormick noted that the album's musical setting produced by Russell "blends dubby beats with spoken word and raw, confessional blues", describing the musical fusion as "like Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
jamming with Robert Johnson and Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
".
Scott-Heron's baritone
Baritone
Baritone is a type of male singing voice that lies between the bass and tenor voices. It is the most common male voice. Originally from the Greek , meaning deep sounding, music for this voice is typically written in the range from the second F below middle C to the F above middle C Baritone (or...
vocals on the album stylistically range from spoken word
Spoken word
Spoken word is a form of poetry that often uses alliterated prose or verse and occasionally uses metered verse to express social commentary. Traditionally it is in the first person, is from the poet’s point of view and is themed in current events....
to blues-oriented crooning. Music writers have noted that Scott-Heron's vocal ability has changed, perceiving it as rougher, slurred, and aged. Music journalist Simon Price
Simon Price
Simon Price is a British music journalist and club promoter, born on 25 September 1967 in the Welsh town of Barry. He is now best known for his weekly review section in The Independent on Sunday and his book on Manic Street Preachers.-Career:...
described his voice on the album as "bourbon-soaked".
Lyrical themes
I'm New Here features introspective, confessional lyrics expressing themes of regret, reconciliation, and redemption, which deviate from his earlier music's agitprop lyrics and social, political themes. On Scott-Heron's thematic departure, critic Paul Trynka wrote "The man who depicted Winter in AmericaWinter in America
Winter in America is a studio album by American recording artist Gil Scott-Heron and musician Brian Jackson, released in May 1974 on Strata-East Records. Recording sessions for the album took place during September to October 1973 at D&B Sound Studio in Silver Spring, Maryland...
is now in his own autumn; a season replete with both beauty and sadness". The Skinnys Bram Gieben perceived "flashes of Burroughs
William S. Burroughs
William Seward Burroughs II was an American novelist, poet, essayist and spoken word performer. A primary figure of the Beat Generation and a major postmodernist author, he is considered to be "one of the most politically trenchant, culturally influential, and innovative artists of the 20th...
-like darkness, the wry humour of post-addiction Richard Pryor
Richard Pryor
Richard Franklin Lennox Thomas Pryor was an American stand-up comedian, actor, social critic, writer and MC. Pryor was known for uncompromising examinations of racism and topical contemporary issues, which employed colorful vulgarities, and profanity, as well as racial epithets...
" in Scott-Heron's performance. Although Scott-Heron's lyrics concerning his bleak life experiences are understated and reflective, they express pride, dignity, defiance, and unapologetic confession. According to Robert Ferguson of Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
, Scott-Heron expresses "confession, but no apology" to "pick over the bones of his life, acknowledging the hard times and his own mistakes, but standing proud of all they have led him to become".
Content
The album's bookending and two-part poem "On Coming from a Broken Home" features piano and a sampledSampling (music)
In music, sampling is the act of taking a portion, or sample, of one sound recording and reusing it as an instrument or a different sound recording of a song or piece. Sampling was originally developed by experimental musicians working with musique concrète and electroacoustic music, who physically...
string loop from Kanye West
Kanye West
Kanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
's "Flashing Lights
Flashing Lights
"Flashing Lights" is a song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on November 22, 2007, as the fourth single for his third studio album, Graduation. The song was co-produced by Eric Hudson and features R&B singer Dwele as well as additional vocals provided by Connie Mitchell of Sneaky...
" (2007). It is a tribute to the women in his family, particularly Scott-Heron's grandmother Lily Scott, with whom he was sent to live as a child in Tennessee. The song reflects on his upbringing around strong female figures and challenges the sociological perception of a broken home: "Womenfolk raised me, and I was full-grown before knew I came from a broken home". It defends Scott-Heron's upbringing and arguing that his grandmother's love and devotion taught him passionate humanity, despite lacking of a positive male figure. According to music writers, "On Coming from a Broken Home" introduces and concludes the album's prominent theme of unapologetic confession.
"Your Soul and Mine" adapts lyrics from Scott-Heron's spoken word piece "The Vulture", originally featured on Small Talk at 125th and Lenox
Small Talk at 125th and Lenox
-Personnel:* David Barnes – percussion, vocals* Charlie Saunders, Eddie Knowles – congas* Gil Scott-Heron – guitar, piano, vocals* Charles Stewart – cover art* Bob Thiele – producer-External links:* at Discogs...
(1970). It contains a dubstep-styled collage of effects over a cello loop similar to the style of Burial
Burial (musician)
Burial is the stage name of William Bevan, an electronic musician from London. His music contains elements of dubstep, 2-step garage, ambient and house music. His eponymous debut album was released in 2006 to critical acclaim...
and Massive Attack. The song's blank verse
Blank verse
Blank verse is poetry written in unrhymed iambic pentameter. It has been described as "probably the most common and influential form that English poetry has taken since the sixteenth century" and Paul Fussell has claimed that "about three-quarters of all English poetry is in blank verse."The first...
recitation discusses the evils, represented as a metaphorical vulture, that inhabit and destroy African-American ghettos. The "vulture" also represents death from Scott-Heron's point of view, who concludes the song with the theme of defiance:
Commercial performance
I'm New Here was released February 8, 2010 in the United Kingdom and February 9, 2010 in the United States on XL RecordingsXL Recordings
XL Recordings is a British independent record label owned by Richard Russell. It originated as a 1989 offshoot of Beggars Banquet Records.Though only releasing an average of six albums a year, XL Recordings has worked with The Prodigy, Radiohead, The White Stripes, Dizzee Rascal, M.I.A., Vampire...
. It debuted at number 181 on the US Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart with first week sales of 3,700 copies. It also entered at number 28 on Billboards Top Independent Albums
Independent Albums
The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels...
, at number 6 on its Top Jazz Albums, and at number 38 on its Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999...
chart. The album also entered at number 35 in Ireland and at number 39 in the United Kingdom. It also debuted at number six on the UK R&B Chart
UK R&B Chart
The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week...
. It spent two to three weeks on most international charts. The album's lead single, "Me and the Devil", was released on February 22, 2010 as a 7" and music download. It did not chart as a single on the Billboard charts.
Critical response
I'm New Here received generally positive reviews from music criticMusic criticism
See also Music journalism for reporting on classical and popular music in the media.The Oxford Companion to Music defines music criticism as 'the intellectual activity of formulating judgments on the value and degree of excellence of individual works of music, or whole groups or genres'. In this...
s. At Metacritic
Metacritic
Metacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
, which assigns a normalized
Standard score
In statistics, a standard score indicates how many standard deviations an observation or datum is above or below the mean. It is a dimensionless quantity derived by subtracting the population mean from an individual raw score and then dividing the difference by the population standard deviation...
rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average
Weighted mean
The weighted mean is similar to an arithmetic mean , where instead of each of the data points contributing equally to the final average, some data points contribute more than others...
score of 78, based on 28 reviews, which indicates "generally favorable reviews". Allmusic editor Thom Jurek gave it four out of five stars and commented that it "contains the artful immediacy that distinguishes Scott-Heron’s best art". Siddharta Mitter of The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe
The Boston Globe is an American daily newspaper based in Boston, Massachusetts. The Boston Globe has been owned by The New York Times Company since 1993...
praised Russell's production and stated "the swirling miasma of sound wholly suits Scott-Heron’s mood, which is angry yet humble, and even more his voice, which is rich and intent as ever". Jesse Serwer of The Washington Post
The Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
described it as an "invigorating yet draining listening experience" and commended Scott-Heron's "wizened poetry". Darren Lee of MusicOMH
MusicOMH
musicOMH is a United Kingdom-based website which publishes independent reviews, featues and interviews from across all musical genres including classical, metal, rock and R&B.-History:...
called the album "a remarkably honest and self-reflective collection". Delusions of Adequacy's Bryan Sanchez called it "an outstanding album and one of beauty and substance". The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
s Neil McCormick noted "lyrics of depth, wisdom and experience, a voice rich with musicality, all set in a sonic context that locates him in the present moment". Rupert Howe of Q
Q (magazine)
Q is a popular music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology...
commented that Russell's arrangements "brilliantly frame [Scott-Heron]'s rich burr and terse street poetry with brooding electronica and stark blues handclaps". Mojo
Mojo (magazine)
MOJO is a popular music magazine published initially by Emap, and since January 2008 by Bauer, monthly in the United Kingdom. Following the success of the magazine Q, publishers Emap were looking for a title which would cater for the burgeoning interest in classic rock music...
s Paul Trynka complimented its "stark grandeur".
However, Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
writer Jim DeRogatis
Jim DeRogatis
James "Jim" DeRogatis is an American music critic and co-host of Sound Opinions. DeRogatis has written articles for magazines such as Spin, Guitar World and Modern Drummer, and for fifteen years was the pop music critic for the Chicago Sun-Times.He joined Columbia College Chicago as a full-time...
found its sound "alien and unsuccessful" and described Scott-Heron's performance as "bland philosophizing and surprisingly hollow personal reflections". Will Layman of PopMatters
PopMatters
PopMatters is an international webzine of cultural criticism that covers many aspects of popular culture. PopMatters publishes reviews, interviews, and detailed essays on most cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, films, books, video games, comics, sports, theater,...
called the album "a thin affair—musically weak and lyrically narrow", perceiving its material as "unimaginative" and panning its musical structure. Giving it two out of four stars, Chicago Tribune
Chicago Tribune
The Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
writer Greg Kot
Greg Kot
Greg Kot is an American writer and journalist. Since 1990, Kot has been the music critic at the Chicago Tribune, where he has covered popular music and reported on music-related social, political and business issues...
described it as a "postmodern blues album as conceived sometime between closing time and sunrise, a dark-night-of-the-soul lament in which the artist tosses and turns while mumbling and slurring his words", while noting its minimal production and concise composition as flaws. Despite viewing its brevity and "fragmented nature" as weaknesses, John Lewis of Uncut
UNCUT (magazine)
Uncut magazine, trademarked as UNCUT, is a monthly publication based in London. It is available across the English-speaking world, and focuses on music, but also includes film and books sections...
called the album "a brave, brilliant and highly personal statement". Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine
Slant Magazine is an online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York Film Festival.- History :...
's Jesse Cataldo complimented its unconventional structure and called it "post-structural, indefinably plotted" and "masterfully stark". Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
writer Will Hermes described it as "a steely blues record at heart — the sound of a damaged man staring in the mirror without self-pity but not without hope". Andy Gill of The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
commented that "As with the man, so with this album: it might fall short in some regards, but such is the heart and the mind involved that what little is left should be treasured accordingly".
Andy Beta of Spin
Spin (magazine)
Spin is a music magazine founded in 1985 by publisher Bob Guccione Jr.-History:In its early years, the magazine was noted for its broad music coverage with an emphasis on college-oriented rock music and on the ongoing emergence of hip-hop. The magazine was eclectic and bold, if sometimes haphazard...
wrote that the album "isn't so much a comeback as a testament to spiritual resilience". John Doran of NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
called Scott-Heron a "copper-bottomed genius" and viewed the album's sparse beats as "in keeping with the apocalyptic blues contained within". The Village Voice
The Village Voice
The Village Voice is a free weekly newspaper and news and features website in New York City that features investigative articles, analysis of current affairs and culture, arts and music coverage, and events listings for New York City...
s Stacey Anderson complimented Scott-Heron's thematic departure from his previous work, stating "it's more emotional, more optimistic, than his past political provocations, and he hasn't sounded this lively in ages". Jason P. Woodbury of Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes
Tiny Mix Tapes is an online music and film webzine that focuses primarily on new music and related news. In addition to its reviews, it is noted for its subversive, political, and sometimes surreal news, as well as its mix tapes generator.-History:Originally called Tiny Mixtapes Gone to Heaven and...
commented that "It’s the sound of a proud man swallowing his pride while preserving his dignity, of a wise man sharing instead of lecturing, doing so with bleak humor, pathos, and dark charm". Boston Phoenix writer Mikael Wood commented that "Drug trouble, family strife, too many years spent behind bars: Scott-Heron is unsparing in his confessions, as producer Richard Russell fashions a kind of creaky industrial folk music". Dan Cairns of The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times
The Sunday Times is a British Sunday newspaper.The Sunday Times may also refer to:*The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times *The Sunday Times...
called it "an extraordinarily powerful album", noting "unsparing autobiographical interludes, set to ghostly electro ambience and doomy bass, frame covers [...] and superb Scott-Heron originals". In his consumer guide for MSN Music
MSN Music
MSN Music was a part of the MSN web services. It delivered music news, music videos, spotlights on new music, artist information, and live performances of artists. In 2004, Microsoft created an MSN Music download store to compete with Apple's iTunes Music Store, though its sales in comparison were...
, critic Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau
Robert Christgau is an American essayist, music journalist, and self-proclaimed "Dean of American Rock Critics".One of the earliest professional rock critics, Christgau is known for his terse capsule reviews, published since 1969 in his Consumer Guide columns...
gave I'm New Here an honorable mention rating, indicating a "likable effort consumers attuned to its overriding aesthetic or individual vision may well enjoy".
Track listing
- All tracks were produced by Richard Russell.
- Tracks 1 and 15 contain a sample from "Flashing LightsFlashing Lights"Flashing Lights" is a song by American rap artist Kanye West. It was released on November 22, 2007, as the fourth single for his third studio album, Graduation. The song was co-produced by Eric Hudson and features R&B singer Dwele as well as additional vocals provided by Connie Mitchell of Sneaky...
" by Kanye WestKanye WestKanye Omari West is an American rapper, singer, and record producer. West first rose to fame as a producer for Roc-A-Fella Records, where he eventually achieved recognition for his work on Jay-Z's album The Blueprint, as well as hit singles for musical artists including Alicia Keys, Ludacris, and...
.
Personnel
Credits for I'm New Here adapted from liner notes.- Damon AlbarnDamon AlbarnDamon Albarn is an English singer-songwriter and record producer who has been involved in many high profile projects, coming to prominence as the frontman and primary songwriter of Britpop band Blur...
– keyboards - Mike Block – strings
- Chris CunninghamChris CunninghamChris Cunningham is an English music video film director and video artist. He was born in Reading, Berkshire in 1970 and grew up in Lakenheath, Suffolk....
– guitar, synthesizer - Tiona Hall – backing vocals
- Michelle Hutcherson – backing vocals
- Kim Jordan – backing vocals, piano
- Phil Lee – artwork
- Christiana Liberis – strings
- Rodaidh McDonald – additional recording and mixing
- Ichiho Nishiki – engineer
- Mischa RichterMischa RichterMischa Richter was an American cartoonist best known for his numerous cartoons published in The New Yorker over decades....
– artwork - Richard RussellRichard Russell (XL Recordings)-Career:Russell joined the independent record label XL Recordings in 1991. The label was founded in 1989 by Tim Palmer and Nick Halkes to release rave and electronic music on 12" vinyl singles....
– producer, cover photo - Gil Scott-HeronGil Scott-HeronGilbert "Gil" Scott-Heron was an American soul and jazz poet, musician, and author known primarily for his work as a spoken word performer in the 1970s and '80s...
– piano, vocals - Tyria Stokes – backing vocals
- Mary Jo Stilp – strings
- Pat SullivanPat SullivanPatrick Sullivan may refer to:* Pat Sullivan , Australian film producer and animator* Pat Sullivan , American football coach and former player...
– guitar - Una Tone – strings
- Lawson White – engineer, string arrangements
Charts
| Charts (2010) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Dutch Albums Chart MegaCharts MegaCharts is responsible for the composition and exploitation of a broad collection of official charts in the Netherlands, of which the Mega Top 50 and the Mega Album Top 100 are the most known ones. Mega Charts also provides information to the Stichting Nederlandse Top 40, of which the Dutch Top... |
88 |
| French Albums Chart Syndicat National de l'Edition Phonographique The Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique is the inter-professional organization which protects the interests of the French record industry... |
97 |
| Irish Albums Chart Irish Albums Chart The Irish Albums Chart is the Irish music industry standard albums popularity chart issued weekly by the Irish Recorded Music Association and compiled on its behalf by Chart-Track. Chart rankings are based on sales, which are compiled through over-the-counter retail data captured electronically... |
30 |
| Swiss Albums Chart Swiss Music Charts The Swiss Music Charts are Switzerland's main music sales charts. The charts are a record of the highest-selling singles and albums in various genres in Switzerland.The Swiss Charts include:* Singles Top 75... |
97 |
| UK Albums Chart UK Albums Chart The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart... |
39 |
| UK R&B Chart UK R&B Chart The Official UK R&B Chart is a forty-position R&B/Hip-Hop chart compiled by The Official UK Charts Company. Although the chart does not receive any airplay, its compilation is viewed on BBC Radio 1's website and publications such as ChartsPlus and Music Week... |
6 |
| US Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
181 |
| US Billboard Independent Albums Independent Albums The Billboard Independent Albums is a chart of the highest-selling independent music albums and extended plays in the United States, compiled by Nielsen SoundScan and published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is used to list artists who are not signed to major labels... |
28 |
| US Billboard Jazz Albums Billboard charts The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine... |
5 |
| US Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is a chart published by Billboard magazine that ranks R&B and hip hop albums based on sales compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The name of the chart was changed from Top R&B Albums in 1999... |
38 |
External links
- I'm New Here at DiscogsDiscogsDiscogs, short for discographies, is a website and database of information about audio recordings, including commercial releases, promotional releases, and bootleg or off-label releases. The Discogs servers, currently hosted under the domain name discogs.com, are owned by Zink Media, Inc., and are...
- I'm New Here at MetacriticMetacriticMetacritic.com is a website that collates reviews of music albums, games, movies, TV shows and DVDs. For each product, a numerical score from each review is obtained and the total is averaged. An excerpt of each review is provided along with a hyperlink to the source. Three colour codes of Green,...
- Press release at 2:30 Publicity
- Gil Scott-Heron: The Godfather of Rap Comes Back at The ObserverThe ObserverThe Observer is a British newspaper, published on Sundays. In the same place on the political spectrum as its daily sister paper The Guardian, which acquired it in 1993, it takes a liberal or social democratic line on most issues. It is the world's oldest Sunday newspaper.-Origins:The first issue,...
- Gil Scott-Heron to release new album next year at NMENMEThe New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
- A First Listen at Los Angeles TimesLos Angeles TimesThe Los Angeles Times is a daily newspaper published in Los Angeles, California, since 1881. It was the second-largest metropolitan newspaper in circulation in the United States in 2008 and the fourth most widely distributed newspaper in the country....