It's just that they are not touting it as an official Clan album, more a collection of songs put together by head producer RZA, with other Clan members, accompanied by veteran New York hip-hoppers like Havoc from Mobb Deep (on the surging piano propelled
Evil Deeds
) and Cormega (on the excellent, strings-soaked
Radiant Jewels
).
Still, though it's not as uncompromising, the mood on
Chamber Music
harks back to early Wu-Tang albums like gritty debut
Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)
and often under-rated follow up,
Wu-Tang Forever
- only these days there's a modern-day polish. And tracks like
Harbor Masters
and
Sound the Horns
ooze the sort of collective energy the Clan have not shown in nearly a decade - even the pleading R&B hip-hop of
I Wish You Were Here
is tough and soulful.
With the longest of the 17 tracks not breaking four minutes the album is a tight and seamless offering made more lush and eerie thanks to instrumentation from New York soul band The Revelations.
The Wu-Tang Clan, with a little help from some friends, are sounding more potent than ever.
Scott Kara