Screwston, Texas

Remember Roosh Williams' Common Struggles Of A Modern Man?

Houston's history is dotted with albums that, fairly or not, have been swept aside. We'll examine them here. Have an album that you think nobody knows about but should? Email [email protected].

Roosh Williams Common Struggles of a Modern Man (Self-released, 2011)

Common Struggles of a Modern Man is the debut LP from Roosh Williams, the UT student turned rapper that's still a UT student. It is as clever and contemporary and pseudo-preachy as you'd hope an album called Common Struggles of a Modern Man would be, but it's also not nearly as pompous as you'd expect, and that might be more impressive.

There are times when his commentary is direct ("They Only Know My Name"; "Think"), and times when it is delicate ("Beautifully Simple"; "Time To Give"), but it is always there. If nothing else can be derived from this album, this can: Roosh is a thinking man.

Oh, and he smokes weed regularly.

Y'allmustaforgotability: 93 percent

Read what Y'allmustaforgotability means.

Best Song on the Album: Occasionally, Williams weebles and wobbles his voice a little too much for effect, but on "Beautifully Simple" he flutters above some creeping bass thumps and high hats with more verve and self-confidence than anywhere else on the album. It is, fittingly, a perfectly simple programmatic evaluation of his philosophical doctrine.

Most Unexpected Movie Reference on the Album: Ben Stiller's Zoolander. No shit. It's in there very briefly, but it's in there. Pay attention.

Most Expository Line On The Album: From album opener "Barely Breathing": "Twenty-one years is enough, for me to conclude that most people suck." Welcome to the world, Mr. Williams. It does, indeed, suck greatly.

KEEP THE HOUSTON PRESS FREE... Since we started the Houston Press, it has been defined as the free, independent voice of Houston, and we'd like to keep it that way. With local media under siege, it's more important than ever for us to rally support behind funding our local journalism. You can help by participating in our "I Support" program, allowing us to keep offering readers access to our incisive coverage of local news, food and culture with no paywalls.
Shea Serrano