A new Wu-Tang Clan album is a small miracle in and of itself. The clashing personalities of the Clan's nine rappers (now eight, R.I.P. Ol' Dirty Bastard) make it hard to get them on stage for a show, let alone in the studio, and 8 Diagrams is the group's first record in six years. And the comeback has been overshadowed by drama even before its release.
Both Ghostface and Raekwon have complained about RZA's production on the album, saying the beats -- heavy on guitar and orchestration, never a Wu-Tang staple -- and low-key nature are going to disappoint those expecting a raw, energetic return. Rae has even said the other seven members may try to put out a new album within the year to show RZA (who he calls a "hip-hop hippie") how 8 Diagrams should have sounded.
Take "Unpredictable," which breaks the conventional Wu-Tang production style with a choppy string section straight out of an action movie. The song also gets a little rock 'n' roll flavor from the distorted guitars and heavy rock bassline. It's a new sound, and one of the most interesting tracks.
But it's also totally unsuitable for most of the group. There's no way that GZA's intricate flow or Raekwon's storytelling crime narratives would work well over the beat. Tellingly, only RZA and Inspectah Deck rap on it.
The most discussed song is "The Heart Gently Weeps," a reworking of the Beatles' "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." The bold departure works well even once the novelty is gone. Even Ghostface, who only raps on three songs, seems energized on his unnerving verse about a gunfight in a grocery store.
Each successful experiment is matched by a dud. The third quarter of the album is a tough slog, derailing with a glorified RZA solo cut (the aimless "Sunlight") and misogynist sex rap ("Starter.") "Gun Will Go" and "Stick Me For My Riches" feature uncharacteristic concessions to mainstream sounds, like soulful vocal hooks and programmed hi-hat-riding beats.
8 Diagrams is most reliable in the first half, which sticks closer to the group's trademark sound: hazy beats and a real sense of menace. The first half has most of the highlights: the aforementioned "Unpredictable" and "The Heart Gently Weeps," as well as a suitably funky (in Wu-Tang terms) George Clinton appearance on "Wolves."
The Ol' Dirty Bastard tribute track, "Life Changes," features heartfelt reflections from each member, like GZA's "I cried like a baby on the way to his place of death/Hate not being there the minutes before he left." But it also highlights the underlying tension: Ghostface is conspicuously absent, the only member not in the song. Indeed, who is and isn't prominent on the album is often more important than the actual content.
Sadly, a resurfaced track with a lost rap from Dirty has more spark than anything else on the album.
It almost seems like a cop-out to say the album's good, not great, but there are just too many factors to sort out. Anything short of an instant classic would have disappointed after a six-year wait, but good will toward the Wu-Tang means the fans will listen over and over until the songs start to click. I think the factors balance each other out.
The single "Take It Back," an album highlight, comes with a mission statement: "Before you even have a name, you were screaming 'Wu-Tang,'/We gonna take it back with this." But 8 Diagrams is too unfocused and inconsistent to be a true comeback. It's a good holdover while we wait for Ghostface and Raekwon to rally the troops for another charge, though.
Grade: B-
