''Faith'' is the third album by the American group

Basehead Basehead, also known as dc Basehead and Basehead 2.0, is an American alternative rock band formed by Michael Ivey in 1992. Ivey serves as the group's songwriter and leader, performing vocals and various instruments. Basehead's 1992 debut album ...

, released in 1996. The release was delayed for two years as

Imago Records Imago Records (The Imago Recording Company) was an American independent record label, which was active during the early 1990s. It was started by Terry Ellis after he left his previous record label, Chrysalis Records. In 1990 Ann Munday was hired a ...

separated from

BMG BMG may refer to: Organizations * Music publishing companies: ** Bertelsmann Music Group, a 1987–2008 division of Bertelsmann that was purchased by Sony on October 1, 2008 *** Sony BMG, a 2004–2008 joint venture of Bertelsmann and Sony that wa ...

. It was the group's last album for the label.

Production

The album was recorded in 1994 at Pachyderm Recording Studio, in Minnesota, with engineering help from

Michael Koppelman Michael Koppelman is an American record producer and recording engineer. He worked with the artist Prince from 1989 to 1992 on his albums '' Graffiti Bridge'', ''Diamonds and Pearls'' and '' Love Symbol''. He also recorded or produced records for ...

; Koppelman and DJ Clarence Greenwood also coproduced some of the tracks. The lyrics, written by Michael Ivey, address themes of Christian spirituality and God.

Critical reception

Entertainment Weekly ''Entertainment Weekly'' (sometimes abbreviated as ''EW'') is an American digital-only entertainment magazine based in New York City, published by Dotdash Meredith, that covers film, television, music, Broadway theatre, books, and popular cul ...

'' deemed the album "avant-Christian funk", writing that Ivey "hasn't curtailed his humor, his drawling sensuality, or his sense of musical adventure." The ''

Washington City Paper The ''Washington City Paper'' is a U.S. alternative weekly newspaper serving the Washington, D.C., metropolitan area. The ''City Paper'' is distributed on Thursdays; its average circulation in 2006 was 85,588. The paper's editorial mix is focused ...

'' advised: "Imagine a mellow Prince quietly declaiming over the late-night vibes of a cafe ensemble comfortable with jazz balladry, triphop, sadcore, and cutting-edge hiphop." The ''

Orange County Register ''The Orange County Register'' is a paid daily newspaper published in California. The ''Register'', published in Orange County, California, is owned by the private equity firm Alden Global Capital via its Digital Fiest/Media News subsidiaries. ...

'' called it "a brilliant blend of social observation, lo-fi hip-hop, twisted jazz, clever avant-rock, and smart old school that cuts very, very deep." ''

CMJ New Music Monthly CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...

'' thought that "some songs lilt and others throb, but ''Faith'' still has the arid, rustic sound that distinguishes Basehead's records from any others in hip-hop." The ''

Fort Worth Star-Telegram The ''Fort Worth Star-Telegram'' is an American daily newspaper serving Fort Worth and Tarrant County, the western half of the North Texas area known as the Metroplex. It is owned by The McClatchy Company. History In May 1905, Amon G. Carter acc ...

'' determined that Ivey's "spiritual lyrics have matured without getting pompous," writing that the frontman is "the guy who pretty much founded that whole 'alternative rap' movement—a commingling of rap, reggae, country and R&B that Arrested Development, the Fugees and others swiped and made nice careers out of—and still he lingers in the shadows of obscurity."

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...

wrote that Ivey "didn't leave behind his trademark amalgam of funk, hip-hop, and kitschy pop but he has become more focused ... Unfortunately, you don't listen to Basehead to hear direction—Ivey's charm has always been in his fragmented, hazy cut-and-paste approach."

Track listing

References

{{Authority control Basehead albums 1996 albums Imago Records albums