Atmosphere: When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold

Atmosphere doesn't let a lot of grass grow under

its feet, and since 2005's You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having, the Minneapolis

indie-rap duo has logged hundreds of shows, four more Sad Clown EPs, and a download-only

album, Strictly Leakage. But studio albums usually offer a clearer statement of

purpose, and on the new When Life Gives You Lemons, You Paint That Shit Gold, Atmosphere casts its net

wide. Musically, Lemons is lusher and more ruminative than the harder-hitting Imagine, with producer Ant calling

on Atmosphere's live backing band—plus guests, including Tom Waits

(beatboxing!) and TV On The Radio's Tunde Adebimpe—to flesh out the

sound, enhancing his already-organic approach. That dovetails with Slug's

desire to broaden the scope of his incisive, insightful lyrics—the deluxe

edition of the CD even includes a 40-page children's story. He's always been a

storyteller, usually about his own life, but on Lemons, Slug stretches out more

than ever, spinning sympathetic tales about downtrodden, messed-up people

gamely getting by, from a harried single mother in "Dreamer" to a homeless man

in "The Waitress" who knows his presence is a burden to the only person who

acknowledges his humanity. Fatherhood is also a big motif (the album is

dedicated "to all dads"), especially strong on the album-closing heartbreaker

"In Her Music Box," about a little girl whose innocence hasn't been tarnished

by her dad's petty-criminal lifestyle—yet.