The Roots Rising Down [PA]

3.5 stars out of 5 -- "RISING DOWN is the Roots' most political album....Rapper Black Thought is in his comfort zone playing the firebrand..."
Ranked #17 in Spin's "40 Best Albums Of 2008" -- "As hip-hop's anxious elders, the Philly crew hum with a riveting focus..."
"[T]he listener is rewarded with 'Rising Up,' in which the Fender Rhodes jazzmatazz of earlier records segues into bell-rocking go-go."
"MC Black Thought and drummer ?uestlove sound sonically aware and full of righteous anger....RISING DOWN's most immediate qualities are the raw aesthetic and the burning importance of its messages."
"[T]he Roots rise above on this album, bravely pushing themselves at every turn, proving, in an era full of froth and fancy, that sometimes nightmares are the most important kind of dreams."
Paste (magazine) (p.63) - "[The songs] deliver an honest and abrasive diatribe within The Roots' legacy of civil commentary and inspired musicianship."