"I think song for song it's the best album I've ever made. One thing's for sure…it's going to make it very difficult for people to imitate my sound."

That quote is word for word from Josh Davis' a.k.a. DJ Shadow's own recent web digest entry. Was he talking about his legendary, often imitated 1996 masterpiece Endtroducing… that practically invented the sample album genre? No. Actually, he was referring to his new album The Outsider, a record that will leave fans confounded, bewildered and frankly, a little pissed off. Wait, scratch that, INCESSANTLY PISSED OFF! What in the hell was Davis thinking with this putrid piece of pedestrian "lowest common denominator" pandering ever created? This isn't speculation people, this is a fact: every fan Shadow has gained in the last decade will be completely alienated and left feeling like, well, an outsider after listening to this drivel. Difficult for people to imitate my sound? What in good God's name is he on about? Shadow, the man, the myth, the legend and innovator spends over an hour (one of the most painful 70 minutes of my life to be precise) on this overstuffed, overwrought and overly hyped album imitating everyone else's sound that he can possibly think of.

Someone should have told Davis that Crunk had already been played out a few years back. That way, The Outsider wouldn't have been filled halfway with guest spots from third-rate crumb-bum rappers like David Banner, E-40 and Keak Da Sneak. Even they sound confused as to why they're on this album let alone us the listener. It wouldn't have been so completely painful if Shadow had just put some decent beats behind the elementary, at best, rhymes - alas no such luck, Shadow seems to be on autopilot throughout the entire proceedings.

The other half of The Outsider Shadow fills with Brit-Rock. Huh? Yep, if you've ever thought to yourself "gee, you know what this crappy Crunk-Rap album needs? Some Coldplay-lite to tear the roof off of this sucker!" then you and Shadow should be bowling partners. "The Tiger" features Brit-Rock hacks Kasabian sucking it up more than on their own records and "What Have I Done" sounds like the biggest rip-off of a Black Box Recorder song ever created. Your right Josh, The Outsider will make it difficult for people to imitate your sound; but only because anyone who imitates this record would be committing career suicide, just like you've done so proficiently here. This isn't just the most disappointing album of 2006, it's one of the worst albums of the year period. Way to dig your own grave Shadow, now lie in it.