Long time coming coming hey, I said I'd post this months ago when I first heard it. It's totes worth it but, don't you worry.
It's funny, the only issue I've ever had with Sage is with his beats and how they don't flow within an album. Now he's released something that sounds great musically and and it's with a production team full of indie rock bands that have never worked on a hip-hop record. Executive produced by Brian Deck (Modest Mouse, Iron & Wine), he also collaborates with Mark Linkous (Sparklehorse) (who I just found out had died 4 months ago - wtf??), Jason Lytle (Grandaddy), Chris Walla (Death Cab for Cutie) among many others. Yep, Sage Francis' sharp witticisms over live instrumentation from well established bands. It's great.
My personal favourite on the album is "Little Houdini", a story about a criminal who escapes prison to visit his parents one last time before they die. I'm sort of in love with this sentiment, the notion that the means will justify the ends and believing in your actions cause /you/ know it's right. So ignore all the bullshit from others and just do what you does. And hand me a pink slurpy while you're at it (in-jokes in a blog post?? disaster!). Nah but srz, great song.
"He had numerous convictions but none were as strong as this!"
"Best Of Times" is another solid song, a long-winded confession of his childhood with the help of French composer Yann Tiersen (man behind the Amelie soundtrack - second time this soundtrack crossed paths with my music haha). Totes quotable and shit.
"Pyromaniac, kleptomaniac, couldn't explain my desire to steal that fire"
Also one of the best lines I've heard is on "The Baby Stays":
"Come quick!
Think of a baby's name; she wanted to call it quits"
Download: http://www.mediafire.com/?jknlndk3vqo
