Recovery

From the opening lurch of “Cold Wind Blows,” Eminem is cranked. He’s fighting with himself in the corner of the ring waiting for the chance to land a knockout blow that even he wonders if he can make. Eminem has made his albums play out like audio diaries where his schizophrenic, bi-polar, drug-fueled or drug-free rants feel free to flow with word associations that end with everyone being guilty by degrees. “Talkin’ 2 Myself,” featuring Kobe, is the sound of man splitting in two. Enimem, the Slim Shady, turns to Marshall Mathers for a sense of identity and comes into a ball of identity confusion. The music, however, cranks beyond any identity check. “Won’t Back Down,” with Pink, turns things into hard-edged R&B. “Going Through Changes” samples Black Sabbath’s “Changes.” Michael J. Fox turns up as a punchline in several spots and Li’l Wayne guests on the manic “No Love” after Eminem admits he almost wrote a tune dissing him. It’s this volley back and forth that makes Eminem one of the most fascinating artists in hip-hop and music in general.