Slip it in

Amidst the unavoidable excitement of Trent Reznor putting up music online for free, the new Nine Inch Nails album The Slip had me worried. Reznor's reputation is that of a meticulous, perfectionist workaholic studio wizard, someone prone to taking five or six years in between albums and avoiding all press and publicity while deeply investing in something as masterful as The Fragile. Even 2007's Year Zero, which came out a relatively short two years after With Teeth, was shrouded in mystery and complexity, and it enhanced Reznor's image as a rock Stanley Kubrick. But since May 2007 he's released Year Zero, a dynamic full-length collaboration with Saul Williams, a 2-disc, 4-part album of instrumentals and now The Slip, a ten-song set on which Reznor's only comment has been, "thank you for your continued and loyal support over the years - this one's on me." One could be forgiven for thinking he rushed it out in order to be a free music pioneer.

But as is often the case with NIN, nothing can be taken for granted. At ten songs and 44 minutes, The Slip initially seems like the most concise full-length Reznor's made since Broken, but one listen reveals a statement as varied and tumultuous as some of Reznor's epics. Barely-there instrumentals like '999,999' and 'Corona Radiata' rest near tracks like the chaotic 'Letting You,' or the dissonant new wave of 'Head Down,' and while the album never reaches the heaviness of Reznor's groundbreaking early albums, it also avoids the melodrama that formerly plagued his lyrics. The man who brought the first-person to industrial music is now more prone to Who-level self-examination more than Morrissey-inspired angst, addressing his demises with more wonder than helplessness. "Once I start I cannot help myself," sings Reznor on 'Discipline,' perhaps reflecting his newfound productivity as much as his self-destructive tendencies. Thankfully, he hasn't lost the bite he showcased on the ridiculously underrated Year Zero, venomously taking on compliance under the Bush regime in 'Letting You' and examining the comfort in keeping his mouth shut in 'Echoplex.' "You chip away the old version of you/You'd be surprised what you can do," mutters Reznor's protagonist. "I'm safe in here, irrelevant, just like they said." Stripping individuality and dissent for the country's benefit is not a new idea, but few artists can convey it with the same eloquence.

The Slip is perhaps the least focused and intense record in NIN's discography, but it really succeeds with the songs. There's no concept or theme to dominate the record, and there's no huge stylistic change or innovative sound to add to Reznor's repertoire, but the hooks, choruses and soundscapes that Reznor creates all deliver. The sparse, stunning piano number 'Lights in the Sky' would be "the quiet song" on a Nick Drake record, and the wordless 'The Four of Us are Dying' is more varied an exciting than arguably any of Ghosts' instrumental experiments. Reznor can also still close an album better than just about anyone ("Hurt," "Stuck," "Right Where it Belongs," "Zero-Sum," etc.), and "Demon Seed" leaves the listener jonesing for more, inflicting analog instrumentation and a haunting final chorus that feels like it was way too creepy to be on Pretty Hate Machine.


It's not as staggering as Year Zero, but it's a strong example of Reznor's compositional skills and studio wizardry. It carries the aura and attitude that can really only be found on Trent Reznor releases, and plus, it's a free album by one of the great artistic minds of our time. What are you waiting for?