Something Wicked This Way Comes
The Herbaliser · 2002
54 min · 13 tracks · jazz
An eclectic fusion of jazz, hip-hop, and cinematic soundscapes that transports listeners to a vibrant urban landscape.
Top tracks — play these first
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Something Wicked — The opening track sets the tone with its moody instrumentals and engaging flow, encapsulating the album's blend of jazz and hip-hop influences.
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Verbal Animé — This track showcases clever wordplay and a playful beat, illustrating The Herbaliser's knack for combining humor with sharp lyricism.
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Mr Holmes — A standout cut featuring rich orchestration and a narrative-driven approach, it highlights the group's cinematic style while referencing classic detective tropes.
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Good Girl Gone Bad — This track features a catchy hook and explores themes of transformation, showcasing The Herbaliser's ability to blend storytelling with infectious rhythms.
Elevation
Our rating, out of 100 — and why.
AI-generated from five scored dimensions. An opinion, not a measurement.
InstrumentalThe album's eclectic mix of jazz and hip-hop showcases strong composition and craft but lacks some cohesion in its pacing.
What we noticed
- Several tracks incorporate cinematic elements, using sound effects and atmospheric layers to create a vivid sense of place.
- The first half of the album maintains a consistent mid-tempo pace, while the second half introduces more varied rhythms and tempos.
- Composition 25% of the score
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7/10
- Craft 20% of the score
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8/10
- Durability 25% of the score
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6/10
- Distinctiveness 18% of the score
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7/10
- Sequencing 12% of the score
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6/10
the writing — melody, harmony, structure, lyrics
production, performance, arrangement
whether it rewards returning to it
whether it sounds like itself
running order, pacing, length
Known within its scene. Reported but not counted — how far a record travelled describes its reception rather than the record, and a newer release has had less time to travel than an older one.
Is this for you?
Good fit if you like
- dynamic emotional journeys
- layered, dense sonic textures
- long, immersive listening sessions
- gradual builds and payoffs
Where this album fits
- Career context
- Released in 2002, Something Wicked This Way Comes marked The Herbaliser's fourth studio album, showcasing their continued evolution in the UK hip-hop and jazz scenes. Following the critical success of their previous album, Very Mercenary, this record further solidified their reputation for innovative production and genre-blending.
- Stylistic neighbors
- Bonobo· Jazzyfatnastees· Amon Tobin
Tracklist
Best experienced from track one — press play and let it unfold.
- 1 Something Wicked 5:10
- 2 Verbal Animé 3:46
- 3 Time 2 Build 3:24
- 4 24 Carat Blag 4:08
- 5 Mr Holmes 7:18
- 6 Good Girl Gone Bad 4:07
- 7 The Hard Stuff 2:01
- 8 Distinguished Jamaican English 3:32
- 9 Worldwide Connected 5:06
- 10 The Turnaround 3:15
- 11 Battle of Bongo Hill 4:52
- 12 It Ain't Nuttin' 2:46
- 13 Unsungsong 4:53
Reference: Wikipedia · MusicBrainz · Wikidata
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