Album Review: El Michels Affair – Enter the 37th Chamber (2009)

Album Review: El Michels Affair – Enter the 37th Chamber (2009)
Rating: 3 out of 5 Potholes

Rightfully known for their funky grooves and undeniable skill, El Michels Affair have been kicking around since the early 2000s. In between assisting in production for the likes of Usher and T.I., they also lent their talents to the Wu-Tang Clan a few years back. The collaboration resulted in several limited 7-inch releases, all of them likely selling out quickly. But now, it’s El Michels Affair’s turn to tackle the Wu’s tracks on their own. And, unfortunately, their take on many of the beloved classics across Enter the 37th Chamber falls short of being more than merely good.

Enter the 37th Chamber’s instant standouts are the all joints you previously loved, many of which are represented on here in spades. And El Michels Affair are spot on in their interpretations. The piano twinkle is there on “C.R.E.A.M.”, as are the bombast horns on “Criminology”. Of them all, “Shimmy Shimmy Ya” is particularly interesting, mostly based on the choral rendition of the bars, “shimmy shimmy ya, shimmy yam, shimmy yay, give me the mic so I can take it away,” and the Wu-Tang chant. It adds a surprising and hilarious element to what at first appears to be just another glorified cover. But El Michels Affair spruced this one up with a touch of humor, which, of course, Ol’ Dirty Bastard did many times when he graced the mic before his passing.

But there is an underlying challenge, for some listeners, presented by this album. And that is listening to it as a stand-alone piece. When the beats and familiar instrumentals hit, it’s nearly impossible to not want to hear one of the Shaolin emcees grace the track. There is no question that the musicians on here are talented. It would be foolish to discount the obvious skill of Michels and his crew. But are their interpretations fresh and strong enough, in their own right, to warrant repeated listens? Not entirely. And that right there is the inherent issue heard throughout Enter the 37th Chamber.

An overall rating of this album isn’t an easy task either. Sometimes, it draws you in, begging for your attention as each horn and string plays. But that interest fades during other listens, when nearly the entire record becomes nothing more than background music. Such is the problem with many instrumental albums, though, especially in this A.D.H.D.-addled land we live in today. And with those issues at its core, Enter the 37th Chamber turns out to be a good, albeit solid, album. Nothing more, nothing less.