The saying goes that time heals all things. However, time away has been the death knell to numerous artists and groups who’ve returned only to find their one-time fans have moved on. Or even worse, they find that they aren’t able to meet the lofty expectations set by their past performances. Closing in on almost 10 years since the release of their heralded debut album Train Of Thought, Reflection Eternal faces that challenge as they seek to satiate the fans who’ve eagerly awaited their comeback. By smartly forsaking the urge to throw themselves a ticker tape parade and essentially picking up where they left off, Revolutions Per Minute shows Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek have done right by all parties involved.

In the case of Revolutions Per Minute, the duo’s time spent away from each other was beneficial as both Kweli & Hi-Tek have vastly improved in their respective crafts. On the production tip, Hi-Tek’s production remain as soulful as ever, however each beat is full of lush layers of instrumentation that go beyond simply flipping a sample and adding a bass line. This gives Kweli multiple points of attack when it comes to how he’ll approach a beat, and in turn he curtails his tendency to pack his verses to the brim with the extra syllables which can throw them off kilter. The empathic “In This World” shines as bright example of both as Kweli lays his blueprint across the table as he “sprinkles it over Hi-Tek production” with a bassline that knock the earth of its axis.

As the title suggests, the album moves briskly between tempos, underlining themes of stardom, trappings of fame and struggles associated with the music industry connecting a majority of the songs. “Got Work (Fame)” is an eerie and ominous tale where fame is personified as a seductress ready and willing to be degraded by the long line of suitors outside her door, while “In The Red” finds Kweli questioning just how lucky those who actually achieve the highest levels of fame actually are. Stuck somewhere between the two worlds, on songs like the energetic “Back Again” and the aforementioned “In This World,” Kweli sounds like a man who’s accepted his position and is willing to make the most of it. Such freedoms, despite the sacrifices allow songs like “Ballad Of The Black Gold” to be made. Already a powerful song which takes a multi-faceted look at the effects of the oil trade, it only rings more true with the recent troubles the industry has faced over the past few months.

The same artistic freedom which helped create the aforementioned songs, also allows Talib to make repeated attempts at rocking the dance floor. One of the few areas where Kweli’s efforts have been continuously hit or miss throughout his career continues with the inclusion of “Midnight Hour” and “Get Loose” (featuring Estelle & Chester French respectively). While both songs have their pros and cons, the consistent factor between both is they are two of the few times where Talib is competing with the production and guests for the limelight. In fact one of the few down points on the album is the scene-stealing performances by the album’s co-stars. Jay Electonica & J. Cole make him and Mos Def afterthought on “Just Begun” while most will give “Strangers (Paranoid),” to Bun B. (although that may have more to do with his commanding drawl than anything else). No need to for fans to fret, though, RE still can still generate raw between them, as exhibited on “So Good,” where Tek steps from behind the boards to spit a polished verse.

Reflection Eternal pushed their fans patience to the limit before reuniting, but RPM’s more matured sound rewards listeners immensely with a product that’s both sonically and lyrically diverse, which will hold up very well until the duo’s next outing.