By
Chad Taylor
soundcheck@dmcityview.com
 Rick
Ross
‘God Forgives, I Don’t’
Def Jam/Maybach
Call me crazy if you will, but as a middle-class,
30-something white guy, I sometimes get the
impression that Rick Ross isn’t speaking to
me with his songs. “God Forgives, I Don’t” is
supposed to be Ricky’s masterpiece, and he’s
seemingly cashed in every chip he’s holding
to make it so. The album is a star-studded affair,
featuring cameos by Dre, Jay Z, Drake, Andre
3000, Nas, Usher… and all that expense pays
off in interesting ways. “God Forgives, I Don’t”
is a lavish, cinematic album. We’re treated
to a smoother, funkier Ricky than we’ve seen
before, but one who’s more content to let his
guest stars steal the thunder. Andre 3000 is
the highlight of the album on “Sixteen,” and
Jay Z absolutely crushes the ending of “3 Kings.”
A masterpiece? Not quite. But “God Forgives,
I Don’t” is certainly a work of art. CV
 Austin
Galante
‘Cat of Nine Tails’
Independent
‘Cat of Nine Tails’ is the solo debut from
Iowa City native Galante, who’s also part of
LA-based hip-pop’ers Bad Fathers. The concept
album tells the story of a relationship from
beginning to end, but Galante’s efforts are
heavy handed. Whereas the emotion of relationships
lost is conveyed pitch-perfectly on albums like
Sinatra’s “In The Wee Small Hours” or Cursive’s
“Domestica,” Galante is content to beat us over
the head with lyrics like “I don’t want to feel
like you don’t care anymore/I can’t keep letting
you have this time that you’re stealing/it’s
like I’m a toilet you keep locked in a drawer.”
Themes aside, the album does have interesting
aspects. It features a dynamic, electronic beat,
and Galante is clearly willing to experiment
with his sound and fiddle with conventional
tropes. An interesting first step, though little
else. CV
(Cat of Nine Tails is available for download
at austingalante.bandcamp.com.)
Want your new CD reviewed? Email us a link
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