Never Better (album)

Never Better
Studio album by P.O.S
Released	February 3, 2009
Recorded	2008
Genre	Alternative hip hop
Length	55:38
Label	Rhymesayers Entertainment/Doomtree
P.O.S chronology
Audition 2006 Never Better 2009

Never Better is the third full-length album from Minneapolis punk-inspired hip hop artist P.O.S The first single, "Goodbye" was released in Mid-December, 2008. The second single, "Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)" was released Mid-January on iTunes and Amazon.com. The track "Savion Glover" is a remix of a track previously released on Doomtree's "False Hopes 12", in 2007.

Over half of the record is produced by POS himself, along with contributions from Doomtree Producers Lazerbeak, Paper Tiger, and MK Larada. It features guest verses from Doomtree compatriots Sims, Cecil Otter, and Dessa, as well as Astronautalis.

The album was also released in a limited custom transparent digipak edition designed by Minneapolis designer Eric Carlson, featuring 16 solid picture inserts with 6 plastic overlays, allowing the owner to create their own cover art combinations.

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
	(?)[1]
Allmusic	[2]
The AV Club	(B+)[3]
NME	(6/10)[4]
Boston Phoenix	[5]
Pitchfork Media	(7/10)[6]

Initial critical response to Never Better was favorable. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 75, based on 8 reviews.^[7]

Many reviewers on the site rapreviews.com placed this album in their top ten list for 2009, with it even claiming the number one spot in a few.

Track listing

#	Title	Time	Performer(s)	Producer(s)
1	Let It Rattle	3:33	P.O.S	Lazerbeak
2	Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)	2:37	P.O.S, Doomtree	P.O.S
3	Savion Glover	2:19	P.O.S	P.O.S
4	Purexed	3:24	P.O.S	Lazerbeak
5	Graves (We Wrote the Book)	3:14	P.O.S	Lazerbeak
6	Goodbye	3:07	P.O.S	Lazerbeak
7	Get Smokes	2:38	P.O.S, Jessy Greene	P.O.S
8	Been Afraid	3:39	P.O.S	Lazerbeak
9	Low Light Low Life	3:14	P.O.S, Sims, Cecil Otter, Dessa	Paper Tiger
10	The Basics (Alright)	3:23	P.O.S	P.O.S, Dosh
11	Out of Category	3:16	P.O.S	P.O.S
12	Optimist (We Are Not for Them)	3:19	P.O.S	P.O.S
13	Terrorish	2:13	P.O.S, Jason Shevchuk	P.O.S
14	Never Better	4:03	P.O.S, Judah Nagler	P.O.S
15	The Brave and the Snake/ Hand Made Hand Gun (Hidden Track)	3:46/ 5:50	P.O.S, Astronautalis	MK Larada -

Samples and References

• Graves (We Wrote the Book) interpolates elements from Ten Grand's Grave? Shovel? Let's Go!.
• Savion Glover samples from Fugazi's Five Corporations.
• Let It Rattle references comedian Mitch Hedberg with the line "Bush no more, nobody's like 'Dufresne, search party of four'" as well as The Big Lebowski with the lines "You're out of your element, Donnie, shut up," and "The Dude abides." Also the song includes a slight reference to Nas and his song "The World Is Yours" with the line "They out for presidents to represent them." The song also references professional wrestlers Ravishing Rick Rude and Macho Man Randy Savage.
• Drumroll (We're All Thirsty) references the Japanese jazz collective The Seatbelts.
• Purexed references American post-metal band Isis
• Brave and the Snake is a reference to the online video Brave Rabbit vs. Snake
• Low Light Low Life references Law & Order as well as its creator Dick Wolf and includes a guitar riff that is derived from Don Henley's "The Boys of Summer" hit.
• Get Smokes samples the film Knocked Up

References

1. ^ review
2. ^ Allmusic review
3. ^ The AV Club review
4. ^ NME review
5. ^ Boston Phoenix review
6. ^ Pitchfork Media review
7. ^ "P.O.S:Never Better (2009): Reviews". Metacritic. CNET Networks, Inc. http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/pos/neverbetter. Retrieved 2009-03-19. 

External links

• Official website dedicated to the album.
• Official website of P.O.S