Album Review :
Heath McNease - Be Clean Again

Be Clean Again feels like a Sunday. The weather is somber, you’re feeling introspective, and everything just seems rather slow. Very little of Heath McNease’s latest effort (save for “Believe”) could be deemed upbeat from a musical or lyrical standpoint. This album is 54 minutes of slow hip-hop meets folk, never lacking in sincerity or seriousness. While McNease is most proficient at handling this task – being the guitar playing and singing, yet thought provoking rapper, that he is – Be Clean Again made my eyes (and heart) feel a shade heavy. From the very first song, McNease observes: “if I learned anything at all, I learned about the hate mankind has beating in its heart” (“Needle”). Mostly though, I just didn’t find most of the songs resonated with me. One exception, however, is “No Victims.” Combining Jetty Rae’s vocals in the chorus, deep lyrics, and an ambient guitar-infused hip-hop beat, this song alone embodies the spirit of the record to its utmost perfection. I might also recommend staying for “Chemo” and “More Good Than Bad.” As a whole though, Be Clean Again is a hip-hop meets folk Sunday sermon that demands a lot of mental energy. But some of us are tired and have trouble paying attention; it is Sunday, after all.