After collaborating with The Grouch earlier this year on Heroes in the Healing of the Nation, Zion I producer Amplive has teamed up with The Grouch’s frequent collaborator and fellow Living Legend Eligh. Amplive approached Eligh about working together after Eligh released his solo album Grey Crow last fall. Eligh original thought they’d do an instrumental EP together, but discovered that Amplive was actually interested in producing all the beats while Eligh rapped. As they began to work together, they found they had a natural chemistry and were working on a full length album before they knew it.

The title Therapy at 3 came during the recording sessions, when Eligh found himself confessing past mistakes and getting things off of his chest, such as his struggle with addiction. Working on the album turned into a therapeutic experience for Eligh. As a result, the album has a very intimate feel, and Eligh sounds both vulnerable and confidence at once. He’s opening up, but he’s gaining strength in his confessions. He’s long had the skill sets as an emcee, with a low voice that resonates well on the mic, and while not a vocalist, he can carry a simple melody well. He has also found a good balance in his flow, with the ability to draw lines out or speed up and fit a lot of syllables into a short space. He never loses the melody of the line or becomes excessively staccato, though, so that listeners never lose sight of the lyrical content. Eligh has handled production duties for the majority of his career, so having Amplive relieve him of that side of the project allowed him to concentrate on his lyrics. It feels like putting all his energy into his duties as an emcee paid off, because I definitely felt drawn into his performance more than usual. It’s Eligh’s candid honesty that really makes the album special. Normally, I wouldn’t necessarily care about a song that’s about getting a tattoo, but the way that Eligh describes transferring his inner pain to his outer frame gives “Tattoo Song” depth that I can relate to, even though I don’t have any ink myself. A song like “Beautiful Addiction” serves as a reminder that not all addictions are chemical, and that unhealthy romantic/sexual relationships can be their own form of addiction, and breaking that cycle can be just as hard. “Metronome” takes the mechanical clicks of the machine and transforms it into an extended metaphor for the driving heartbeat of life, and how music provided Eligh with the tools to deal with his problems with authority. The only real slip up I found with the lyrics is the repeating of the title “Forrest Gump,” within the song “Stop Running.” It just seems like a reference that doesn’t add to the discussion, and just elicits a reaction from me along the lines of “Yeah, I get it.”

It’s weird to think of this album of Amplive’s chance to shine, since he’s produced so much interesting and creative music with Zion I, and it’s not like he hasn’t worked outside the group before. However, there’s a weird psychological trigger that comes with having his name listed as an individual artist that really forces you to re-evaluate what he brings to the table. That said, even though he’s been creating fantastic music for years, we shouldn’t take for granted just how great his work is on Therapy at 3. While Eligh’s work here is top notch, I don’t know how well his contribution would have turned out if it wasn’t for the careful balance Amplive struck between challenging him and putting him at ease with his production work. He covers a lot of musical territory on this album, whether it’s the huge bass and drums on “Destination Unknown” that I’m sure will get dance floors crazy, the sparse drum hits and background samples of Middle Eastern strings on “Devils Medicine” that push Eligh’s lyrics about cigarettes to the forefront, or the fuzzy guitars and bright piano that give a mid ‘90s alternative rock feel to “Beautiful Addiction.” There are several tracks that have a warm R&B/hip hop vibe, including “Tattoo Song.” The most adventurous track on Therapy at 3 is “LA Dreamers” with Busdriver, which begins with some down tempo drums and slowly incorporates sitar and other strings until the beat drops out entirely with about a minute to go and turns into this incredibly well developed vocal and sitar harmonic piece. Most importantly, though, is that Amplive’s production sounds as fresh and energetic as ever.

It’s crazy to think that Therapy at 3 is the first time that Eligh and Amplive have collaborated, because the music sounds so effortless. The two really bring out the best in each other, and they managed to make a stand apart album well into both of their careers. I’m sure this won’t be the last time they work together.