Sage Francis

Backed by eclectic indie rock luminaries, Sage Francis crafts a worthy swan song for his rich rap career. Well-known as an outspoken artist, Francis sets his sights on the propagation of religion among other universalisms on Li(f)e. There's a unique tension in Francis's work, where his incisive examination of towering institutions eventually leads him back to his issues. That existential alienation doesn't call for the grooviest of soundtracks; Califone might serve as Francis's primary collaborators, but, in its own way, Li(f)e has the charge of a punk record. Death Cab for Cutie's Chris Walla oversees obvious examples in "Three Sheets to the Wind" and "London Bridge," while Calexico have the reins on the haunting "Slow Man." The late Mark Linkous spearheads album cornerstone "Love the Lie," which precedes the heavy, telling "The Best of Times." Really though, it's Sage Francis's unique bark that gives Li(f)e its sharp bite.