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

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AbsolutePunk	(?)
Allmusic
The AV Club	(B+)
NME	(6/10)
Boston Phoenix
Pitchfork Media	(7/10)

Never Better is the third album from P.O.S, a member of Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree.

Music

Over half of the record is produced by P.O.S 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.

Release

The first single "Goodbye" was released in December, 2008. The second single "Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)" was released in January, 2009 on iTunes and Amazon.com. The track "Savion Glover" is a remix of a track previously released on Doomtree's False Hopes in 2007.

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

Reception

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.

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

• "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 film 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' "The World Is Yours" with the line "They out for presidents to represent them." The song also references professional wrestlers Rick Rude and Randy Savage.
• "Drumroll (We're All Thirsty)" references the Japanese jazz collective The Seatbelts.
• "Savion Glover" samples from Fugazi's "Five Corporations."
• "Purexed" references American post-metal band Isis.
• "Graves (We Wrote the Book)" interpolates elements from Ten Grand's "Grave? Shovel? Let's Go!"
• "Get Smokes" samples from the film Knocked Up.
• "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."
• "The Brave and the Snake" is a reference to the online video "Brave Rabbit vs. Snake."

External links

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