Gil Scott-Heron I'm New Here (10th Anniversary Expanded Edition) 2LP

In February 2010, the late, legendary musician, poet and author Gil Scott-Heron released his thirteenth, and last, studio album. First conceptualized in 2005, and ultimately produced by XL Recordings head Richard Russell during New York recording sessions that commenced in January 2008, I'm New Here was Scott-Heron's first album in sixteen years and found him sounding as vital, boundary-pushing and insightful as ever before.

On February 7, 2020 - the tenth anniversary of I'm New Here's release - XL Recordings will release a limited-edition, expanded version of the album. In addition to the original album, the I'm New Here 10th Anniversary Edition features two unreleased tracks - a cover of Richie Havens' "Handsome Johnny" and a previously unheard Scott-Heron song "King Henry IV" - as well as a selection of other recordings from the original I'm New Here sessions that were only previously available on a rare, vinyl only deluxe version of the LP.

I'm New Here is a shock. It's a wallop filled with big nasty beats, a wide range of sonic atmospheres, and more - sometimes unintentional - autobiographical intimacy than we've heard from Gil Scott-Heron than ever before. Produced by XL Recordings head Richard Russell, I'm New Here is his first record in 16 years. It is a scant 28 minutes and doesn't need to be a second longer. It's unlike anything he's previously recorded, though there is metaphoric precedence in his earliest, largely spoken word albums. Its production pushes forcefully at the margins, and Scott-Heron embraces it without a hint of nostalgia... Forty years after his debut, I'm New Here contains the artful immediacy that distinguishes Scott-Heron's best art. The modern production adds immeasurably to that quality, underscores his continued relevance in reflecting the times, and opens his work to a new generation of listeners while giving older ones a righteous jolt.