I'm New Here Explained

I'm New Here
Type:studio
Artist:Gil Scott-Heron
Cover:Imnewhere.jpg
Released:February 8, 2010
Studio:XL Studio in London
Length:28:25
Label:XL
Producer:Richard Russell
Prev Title:Spirits
Prev Year:1994
Next Title:We're New Here
Next Year:2011

I'm New Here is the 15th and final studio album by American vocalist and pianist Gil Scott-Heron. It was released on February 8, 2010, by XL Recordings and was his first release of original music in 16 years, following a period of personal and legal troubles with drug addiction.

The record was produced by XL owner Richard Russell, who was influenced by the 2009 self-titled debut album of English band the xx.[1] I'm New Here is a post-industrial blues album, with spoken word folk songs and trip hop interludes.

I'm New Here received positive reviews from most critics and sold 3,700 copies in the US in its first week. It was promoted with the single "Me and the Devil", an adaptation of blues musician Robert Johnson's "Me and the Devil Blues" (1937). A remix of the album, titled We're New Here, was produced by the xx's Jamie xx and released by XL in 2011.[2]

Musical style

I'm New Here is a departure from the rhythmic, jazz-funk and soul style of Scott-Heron's previous work,[3] and embraces an acoustic and electronic minimal sound.[4] Musically, I'm New Here incorporates blues, folk, trip hop, and electronica styles.[5] [6] [7] [8] [9] 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".[5] It also contains some musical elements of dubstep, electro, and ambient music.[4] Greg Kot from the Chicago Tribune called it a "post-modern" blues album,[6] while Rolling Stone magazine's 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". City Pages critic Rick Mason deemed the music "hard-edged post-industrial blues".[10]

The album contains a sonically dark and gritty soundscape characterized by low-tone synths and spatial 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.[11] Crawdaddy!s David MacFadden-Elliott wrote that Richard Russell's production finds "deep electronic grooves that still contain hints of soul and gospel music",[12] 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.[3] Music writers have noted that Scott-Heron's vocal ability has changed, perceiving it as rougher, slurred, and aged.[7] [11] Simon Price of The Independent described his voice on the album as "bourbon-soaked".[13]

Themes

I'm New Here features introspective, confessional lyrics expressing themes of regret, reconciliation, and redemption,[7] [14] [15] which deviate from his earlier music's agitprop lyrics and social, political themes.[3] [16] On Scott-Heron's thematic departure, critic Paul Trynka wrote "The man who depicted Winter in America 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.[17] Although Scott-Heron's lyrics concerning his bleak life experiences are understated and reflective, they express pride, dignity, defiance, and unapologetic confession.[7] [18] 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".[19]

The album's bookending and two-part poem "On Coming from a Broken Home" features piano and a sampled string loop from Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" (2007).[20] 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.[19] The song reflects on his upbringing around strong female figures and challenges the sociological perception of a broken home:[21] "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.[7] According to music writers, "On Coming from a Broken Home" introduces and concludes the album's prominent theme of unapologetic confession.[19]

"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).[22] It contains a dubstep-styled collage of effects over a cello loop similar to the style of Burial and Massive Attack.[23] The song's blank verse recitation discusses the evils, represented as a metaphorical vulture, that inhabit and destroy African-American ghettos.[23] [24] The "vulture" also represents death from Scott-Heron's point of view, who concludes the song with the theme of defiance.[24]

Release and promotion

I'm New Here was released by XL Recordings on February 8, 2010, in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States.[25] It had first-week sales of 3,700 copies in the US.[26] It entered at number 28 on Billboards Top Independent Albums,[27] at number 6 on its Top Jazz Albums,[28] and at number 38 on its Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.[29] The album also entered at number 35 in Ireland and at number 39 in the United Kingdom.[30] It also debuted at number six on the UK R&B Chart. It spent two to three weeks on most international charts. In 2010, it was awarded a silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association, which indicated sales of at least 30,000 copies throughout Europe.[31]

The album's lead single, "Me and the Devil", was released on February 22, 2010 as a 7" and music download.[32] It did not chart as a single on the Billboard charts.[33] On September 26, British director Chris Cunningham premiered the 10-minute film New York Is Killing Me at the Museum of Modern Art, projected on three screens side by side. For this "audio-visual remix" he replaced 90% of Scott-Heron's musical track with train sounds and environmental recordings to create a "musique concrète" version of the original composition.[34]

Critical reception

I'm New Here was met with mostly positive reviews from critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78, based on 28 reviews.

Reviewing the album for Slant Magazine, Jesse Cataldo called it "post-structural, indefinably plotted" and "masterfully stark",[35] while Dan Cairns of The Sunday Times regarded it as "an extraordinarily powerful album" featuring "superb Scott-Heron originals".[36] AllMusic's Thom Jurek said it "contains the artful immediacy that distinguishes Scott-Heron’s best art". Siddharta Mitter from The Boston Globe believed Russell's "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".[37] In The Daily Telegraph, Neil McCormick found the lyrics to be of "depth, wisdom and experience", delivered in "a voice rich with musicality, all set in a sonic context that locates him in the present moment". Rupert Howe of Q said Russell's arrangements "brilliantly frame [Scott-Heron]'s rich burr and terse street poetry with brooding electronica and stark blues handclaps". In the opinion of The Village Voices Stacey Anderson, "it's more emotional, more optimistic, than his past political provocations, and he hasn't sounded this lively in ages".[38] Pitchfork ranked I'm New Here number 45 on its list of the Top 50 Albums of 2010,[39] and number 176 on its list of the 200 Best Albums of the 2010s.[40] It also placed "New York Is Killing Me" at number 141 on its list of "The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s."[41]

Some reviewers were less enthusiastic. Writing for Chicago Sun-Times, Jim DeRogatis deemed the album's sound "alien and unsuccessful" while describing Scott-Heron's performance as "bland philosophizing and surprisingly hollow personal reflections".[42] Will Layman from PopMatters said it was "a thin affair—musically weak and lyrically narrow" while finding its material "unimaginative".[43]

Reworkings

The entire album has been reworked twice: as We're New Here by Jamie xx, released in 2011,[44] and as We're New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven, released in 2020.[45]

Track listing

Personnel

Credits for I'm New Here adapted from liner notes.[46]

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Mulholland. Garry. February 18, 2011. Gil Scott-Heron & Jamie T – We're New Here. Uncut. July 23, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160817100854/http://www.uncut.co.uk/reviews/album/gil-scott-heron-jamie-t-were-new-here. August 17, 2016. dead.
  2. News: New album stream: Gil Scott-Heron and Jamie xx – We're New Here. The Guardian. London. February 14, 2011. February 18, 2011.
  3. News: Serwer. Jesse. Album review: Gil Scott-Heron, "I'm New Here". The Washington Post. February 9, 2010. February 10, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20120825234815/http://blog.washingtonpost.com/clicktrack/2010/02/album_review_gil_scott-heron_i.html. August 25, 2012. dead.
  4. News: Yates. Steve. Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here (XL). The Observer. London. January 24, 2010. February 10, 2010.
  5. Web site: Taylor. Patrick. Gil Scott-Heron :: I'm New Here :: XL Recordings. RapReviews. February 16, 2010. February 25, 2010. November 28, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101128004316/http://rapreviews.com//archive/2010_02_imnewhere.html. live.
  6. News: Kot. Greg. Greg Kot. Album review: Gil Scott-Heron, 'I'm New Here'. Chicago Tribune. February 23, 2010. February 25, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20121022131916/http://leisureblogs.chicagotribune.com/turn_it_up/2010/02/album-review-gil-scottheron-im-new-here.html. October 22, 2012. dead.
  7. Web site: Woodbury. Jason P.. Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here. Tiny Mix Tapes. February 11, 2010. February 15, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100215061947/http://www.tinymixtapes.com/music-review/Gil-Scott-Heron-I-m-New-Here. live.
  8. News: Wood. Mikael. Gil Scott-Heron I'm New Here. The Boston Phoenix. February 23, 2010. February 23, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20121014142700/http://thephoenix.com/Boston/music/97528-im-new-here-2010/. October 14, 2012. dead.
  9. Web site: Baird. Emrys. Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here. Blues & Soul. February 25, 2010. March 14, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100314063745/http://www.bluesandsoul.com/review/1004/gil_scott-heron_im_new_here. live.
  10. News: Mason. Rick. Gil Scott-Heron. City Pages. Minneapolis. April 14, 2010. March 2, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20140428005126/http://www.citypages.com/2010-04-14/calendar/gil-scott-heron/full/. April 28, 2014. dead.
  11. Web site: Dietz. Jason. This Week's New Music: Albums from Hot Chip, Massive Attack, and More. Metacritic. February 10, 2010. April 22, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100616035256/http://features.metacritic.com/features/2010/new-music-for-february-2-2010-2/. dead. June 16, 2010.
  12. Web site: MacFadden-Elliot. David. Album Review: Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here. Crawdaddy!. February 8, 2010. February 19, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20110717205056/http://www.crawdaddy.com/index.php/2010/02/08/album-review-gil-scott-heron-i-m-new-here/. July 17, 2011. dead.
  13. News: Price. Simon. Album: Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here (XL). The Independent. London. February 7, 2010. February 14, 2010. February 10, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100210185248/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/reviews/album-gil-scottheron-irsquom-new-here-xl-1892082.html. live.
  14. Web site: Dacks. David. Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here. Exclaim!. February 8, 2010. February 19, 2010. February 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200202134655/http://exclaim.ca/music/article/gil_scott-heron-im_new_here_2. live.
  15. Web site: Neyland. Nick. Gil Scott-Heron I'm New Here Review. BBC Music. February 11, 2010. February 11, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100211165650/http://www.bbc.co.uk/music/reviews/b3q4. live.
  16. Sless-Kitain. Areif. Gil Scott-Heron. Time Out Chicago. 258. February 4–10, 2010. February 11, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100211020739/http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/music/82492/gil-scott-heron-im-new-here-music-review. February 11, 2010. dead.
  17. Web site: Gieben. Bram. Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here. The Skinny. February 16, 2010. February 20, 2010. April 23, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100423032545/http://www.theskinny.co.uk/article/98642-gil-scott-heron---im-new-here. live.
  18. News: Haider. Arwa. Gil Scott-Heron still speaks from the heart. Metro. London. February 8, 2010. February 14, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100211122922/http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/music/811976-gil-scott-heron-still-speaks-from-the-heart. February 11, 2010. dead.
  19. Web site: Ferguson. Robert. Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here. Drowned in Sound. February 10, 2010. February 10, 2010. February 13, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100213031733/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/15097/reviews/4139058. dead.
  20. Web site: Molner. Chris. Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here (XL; 2010). Cokemachineglow. January 25, 2010. February 14, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100128114640/http://www.cokemachineglow.com/record_review/5105/gilscottheron-imnewhere-2010. January 28, 2010. dead.
  21. Web site: Lee. Darren. Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here. MusicOMH. February 8, 2010. February 10, 2010. July 31, 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130731034619/http://www.musicomh.com/reviews/albums/gil-scott-heron-im-new-here. live.
  22. Web site: Smith. Jason Randall. Gil Scott-Heron, I'm New Here. Impose. February 14, 2010. February 13, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100213163625/http://www.imposemagazine.com/reviews/im-new-here--gil-scott-heron. live.
  23. Web site: Lewis. John. Album Review: Gil Scott-Heron – I'm New Here. Uncut. February 8, 2010. February 11, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101206031914/http://www.uncut.co.uk/music/gil_scott-heron_and_brian_jackson/reviews/13936. December 6, 2010. dead.
  24. Web site: Aaron-Lopez. Carla. Thieves & Vultures: Nas, Gil Scott-Heron & Music Videos. HipHopDX. February 7, 2010. February 25, 2011. March 3, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195824/http://hiphopdx.com/editorials/id.1492/title.thieves-vultures-nas-gil-scott-heron-music-videos. live.
  25. Web site: Briehan. Tom. In Brief: These Arms Are Snakes, Peter Hook, Gil Scott-Heron, Snowbombing. Pitchfork. January 13, 2010. February 14, 2010. February 17, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100217172456/http://pitchfork.com/news/37570-in-brief-these-arms-are-snakes-peter-hook-gil-scott-heron-snowbombing/. live.
  26. Web site: Jacobs. Allen. Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 2/14/2010. HipHopDX. February 17, 2010. February 19, 2010. March 6, 2016. https://web.archive.org/web/20160306084640/http://hiphopdx.com/news/id.10652/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-2142010. live.
  27. http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/charts/chart_display.jsp?g=Albums&f=Top+Internet+Albums&src=bchallenge Independent Albums: Week of February 27, 2010
  28. https://www.billboard.com/charts/jazz-albums#/charts/jazz-albums Jazz Albums: Week of February 27, 2010
  29. R&B/Hip-Hop Albums: Week of February 27, 2010
  30. http://www.irma.ie/aucharts.asp#albums Irish Charts: Week ending 18th February 2010
  31. Web site: Color . 2017-08-26 . 2017-08-27 . https://archive.today/20170827005732/http://www.impalamusic.org/arc_static/docum/04-press/2009/PR%20-%2020101004.htm . dead .
  32. Web site: Hughes. Rich. [Video] Gil Scott-Heron – Me And The Devil]. The Line of Best Fit. January 20, 2010. February 14, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100122235624/http://www.thelineofbestfit.com/2010/01/video-gil-scott-heron-me-and-the-devil/. January 22, 2010. dead.
  33. Chart History: 'Me and the Devil'
  34. Web site: Macaulay. Scott. Chris Cunningham @ MoMA. Filmmaker. September 27, 2010. September 23, 2015. September 23, 2015. https://web.archive.org/web/20150923061233/http://filmmakermagazine.com/13909-chris-cunningham-moma/#.VgICv7SXemQ. live.
  35. Web site: Cataldo. Jesse. Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here. Slant Magazine. February 8, 2010. February 10, 2010. February 11, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100211122003/http://www.slantmagazine.com/music/review/gil-scott-heron-im-new-here/1998. live.
  36. News: Cairns. Dan. Gil Scott Heron: I'm New Here. The Sunday Times. London. February 21, 2010. February 2, 2020. subscription. February 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200202134655/https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/gil-scott-heron-im-new-here-ssgcf2zg6vv. live.
  37. News: Mitter. Siddharta. Gil Scott-Heron, 'I'm New Here'. The Boston Globe. February 8, 2010. February 10, 2010. October 25, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20121025063908/http://www.boston.com/ae/music/cd_reviews/articles/2010/02/08/gil_scott_heron_im_new_here/. live.
  38. News: Anderson. Stacey. Rebooting Gil Scott-Heron's Untelevised Revolution. The Village Voice. New York. February 9, 2010. February 11, 2010. February 2, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200202134704/https://www.villagevoice.com/2010/02/09/rebooting-gil-scott-herons-untelevised-revolution/. live.
  39. Web site: The Top 50 Albums of 2010. Pitchfork. December 16, 2010. October 18, 2011. 1. October 12, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20111012235831/http://www.pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/7893-the-top-50-albums-of-2010/. live.
  40. Web site: The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s. Pitchfork. October 8, 2019. October 9, 2019. May 3, 2024. https://web.archive.org/web/20240503040120/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-albums-of-the-2010s/. live.
  41. Web site: The 200 Best Songs of the 2010s. Pitchfork. October 7, 2019. October 12, 2019. October 7, 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191007154504/https://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/the-200-best-songs-of-the-2010s/. live.
  42. News: DeRogatis. Jim. Jim DeRogatis. Gil Scott-Heron, "I'm New Here" (XL Recordings). Chicago Sun-Times. February 23, 2010. February 23, 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20100710222426/http://blogs.suntimes.com/music/2010/02/gil_scott-heron_im_new_here_xl.html. July 10, 2010. dead.
  43. Web site: Layman. Will. Gil Scott-Heron: I'm New Here. PopMatters. February 10, 2010. February 11, 2010. June 5, 2011. https://web.archive.org/web/20110605000821/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/120263-gil-scott-heron-im-new-here. live.
  44. Web site: Gil Scott-Heron / Jamie xx, We're New Here. Pitchfork. February 22, 2011. February 25, 2020. February 22, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200222034551/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/15140-were-new-here/. live.
  45. Web site: Gil Scott-Heron/Makaya McCraven, We're New Again: A Reimagining by Makaya McCraven. Pitchfork. February 7, 2020. February 25, 2020. February 25, 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200225150207/https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/gil-scott-heron-makaya-mccraven-were-new-again-a-reimagining-by-makaya-mccraven/. live.
  46. I'm New Here. Gil Scott-Heron. 2010. album liner notes. XL Recordings.

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