Mi Vida Local

Mi Vida Local continues Atmosphere's 2010s streak of albums reflecting on middle-aged life. Slug's lyrics are still generally themed around the struggles of daily existence, but these songs are a bit more preoccupied with mortality and legacy than previous outings. "Graffiti" opens with the ominous words "I wrote this one when I was still alive," and on "Virgo" he spits "You can sacrifice me to the weather if you promise that you'll let my songs live forever." Other songs focus on relationship troubles; Musab's guest verse on "Earring" compares a dysfunctional marriage to Night of the Living Dead, while the wryly humorous "Trim" is a lament about a couple rarely having time for sex due to family and work obligations. The album's most plainly optimistic moment is the easily swinging "Mijo," which offers the encouragement that "It's never too late to get some heaven on earth." Musically, the album is an organic blend of live instrumentation and 808 beats, sounding less polished and radio-friendly than the group's most commercially successful albums, but not as rough as the earlier stuff. "Jerome" is doused in fuzzy, slow-burning psychedelic guitars, while "Delicate" has more of a dark fusion vibe to it, with an extended melodica outro. Other songs are starker and more somber, with the aforementioned "Virgo" containing delicate acoustic instrumentation and softly fluttering keyboards, and no beats. Like the previous few Atmosphere albums, Mi Vida Local is highly informed by the duo's home city of Minneapolis. Even if the songs aren't loaded with specific references to local people, places, or events, there's still a very homegrown feel to them. As honest and introspective as anything else Atmosphere has done, Mi Vida Local is perhaps their most mature work, as well. ~ Paul Simpson