Too underwhelming.
I, like many cats from Minneapolis who are both die-hard Atmosphere fans & MC's ourselves, waited for months for this CD. Copped it at the midnight release at Fifth Element, followed the promo campaign up until the 22nd, & even decorated parts of MCTC with Atmosphere flyers. However, I was completely let down by this disc in its entirety. There's not one track on here that impressed me, & only a couple did I really enjoy. It's not so much that Slug's change in delivery is bad (I do enjoy the singing, no matter how technically un-sound he may be), & I much prefer my hip hop with beats & a DJ, none of this full-band re-creation of samples & sounds thing (Guarantees was an exception to the rule, mind you), I just found this CD to be dull, mundane, & underwhelming. Probably had my hopes too high & expected too much, but up 'til this one, Slug & Ant had never let me down. Gets 3 on the strength of it being Atmosphere & they can do much better than this. Maybe next time they'll show up.

Awesome Rhymesayer!
Dude! For those that don't know Atmosphere, you better get caught up. This is their 4th or 5th album (they are all good), but the title on this one can't be beat! I HIGHLY recommend that you buy this albom right now and support the american midwestern white rapping genre (all 3 of them). BUY IT!

Great as a whole...
The album works very well as a whole. Every song is quality and what you expect from Atmosphere. That being said, there is no instant classics that makes you say "wow". You know the track that you have to listen to several times before moving onto the next track because it is that good. "Smart Went Crazy", "Trying To Find A Balance", "Woman Tonight", "Shrapnel", "Sex & More" and "Rooster" come to mind. "Can't Break" & "Your Glasshouse" comes close and there are a couple others. Several tracks have awesome little samples or nice instrumental outros ("Puppets" has Chaney Casselle singing along with Slug and the beat for the last minute - awesome cut). Slug's writing and delivery are better than ever. Ant has some great sampling and as usual, you won't find better production.

4.5 Stars, But I Had to Round It Up to Five
I first got into Atmosphere through the songs "A Song About A Friend" and "F*** You Lucy," two tracks I enjoyed very much. I checked out their album "Godlovesugly," which was pretty good. So when "You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having" dropped, I picked it up with the quickness. Tracks like "Say Hey There," "Pour Me Another," "Panic Attack," and "Musical Chairs," their 2005 release was a winner. Three years later, the duo of Ant and Slug drop a near classic in the form of "When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That S*** Gold." The special edition packages comes with a children's book written by Slug, song lyrics, and a bons DVD with live footage and extras. With this new addition to Atmosphere's catalogue, Slug juggles the topics of fatherhood, optimism, pessimism, hope, hard times, and relationships with the aura of a man who's seen it all.

The opening track is a slow, soft track titled "Like The Rest of Us." It really sets the mood for the rest of the album. "Puppets" has Slug spitting only like he can and the track has a grooving chorus with nice background vocals from Channy Casselle. "The Skinny" is a unique track with a banging beat. Slug raps about how cigarettes are like a pimp to women. It gets many repeats from this reviewer. "Dreamer" is an up-beat, optimistic tune about a woman who ends up with a few kids before she's fully mature and takes care of herself to get by. Another one of my favorites is the infectuous "You," the kinda song you'll smile and nod your head to.

From track seven to the end of the album, the songs tend to get a bit darker. "Painting" tells the story of a man who can't get past the demons he lives with. "Your Glasshouse" describes something that is common to a lot of people, me included at times: being a stranger in your own house. The track that breaks the pessimistic monotony is "Yesterday", a nice, retrospective track about his father. As it's been noted by other reviewers, the song has an optimistic vibe. "Guarantees" has Slug rhyming over a guitar rhythm by Nate Collins. It's pretty much a rap about how life is. It's gotten a little airplay on MTV, which is great. It's probably my favorite song on here. "Me" is a narrative of a boy's life, from childhood to manhood. It's got a morose atmosphere to it...maybe it's autobiographical? "Wild Wild Horses" connects as Slug presents the viewpoints of two people trying to make a relationship work. "The Waitress" is a great cut, about a homeless man who bothers a waitress for acknowldegement, and come to find out the waitress is the man's daughter. "In Her Music Box" ends the album off right, with lyrics about Slug and his daughter.

I don't see why any Atmosphere fan wouldn't be happy with this release. The musicianship here is at it's finest, and Slug delivers in such a personal way that you can't help but to be drawn in. Yes, it's slower, depressing (at times), but the music is still great. Slug still has a killer flow and clever lyrics and Ant's beats have reached perfection. This is an album that's perfect for reflecting. Any Atmosphere fan should pick this up.

Best Atmosphere so far
This album might not be for all atmosphere fans but personally i thought this album was simply amazing i think its atmosphere most complete and over all solid album. Ant's beats are just simply crazy and simple and amazing. great album