CD Reviews

Apr 1, 2008 12:00 PM

EMC

The Show (M3)
Masta Ace returns with a posse

After dropping his universally acclaimed 2004 LP, A Long Hot Summer, original Juice Crew member Masta Ace often hinted that his solo career was over. We have yet to see if this retirement will stand. But for now, the veteran Brooklyn MC returns in respectable form with the new group EMC, featuring fellow NYC rhymers Punchline and Wordsworth, as well as his protégé, Stricklin, from Milwaukee.

Being a concept album that sees this quartet re-enacting what life is actually like on tour, The Show would have benefited from having one or two producers seeing the entire project through instead of six-plus. Still, most of the sample-soaked beats from Marco Polo, DJ Premier and the other East Coasters are pretty solid. “Traffic,” an uptempo string-tinged track about finding creative ways to kill time before a show, is especially memorable with its breezy, summertime vibe. The mellower “We Alright” is also notable for its smooth, atmospheric sound. But on the whole, it's the storytelling skills of Ace, Punch, Words and Strick that are the major draw of the effort, as they take listeners through all the highs and lows of rocking stages from state to state. — Max Herman

SASCHA FUNKE

Mango (BPitch Control)
Downplaying the funk

Both wiry grooves and intermittently vivid, melodic patterns color Mango, the sophomore full length from Berlin's (now France's) producer/DJ Sascha Funke. With repeated guitar riffs and trailing synths, “Chemin des Figons” is comely pop that flirts with Funke's 2007 lush retool of Gui Boratto's “Beautiful Life.” While Mango's structure is comparatively skeletal next to Boratto's work, “Feather” and “Double-Checked” are home listening at its most delicate — enlivened with channel-swapping nuances that are as atmospheric and disarming as any of Chromophobia's tech house. — Dominic Umile

GURU'S JAZZMATAZZ

Back to the Future Mixtape (7 Grand)
Still got it

Guru's eagerness to wrap a story around his abundant boasting hasn't mellowed in the slightest. The legendary Gang Starr MC's rather deadpan but authoritative flow is a welcome fix for golden-era heads, with nods to A Tribe Called Quest, Digable Planets and others. Back to the Future has its share of smoky, laid-back grooves courtesy of Solar's soulful melds, but the bristly brag-energy that built Daily Operation rears its head over an oft-used Bob James break on “7 Grand Y'all,” and “Who Got It on Lock” even sounds like “Take It Personal.” — Dominic Umile

THE HEAVENLY STATES

Delayer (Rebel Group)
Atypical indie-pop

Swaying smoothly back and forth between solid power-pop and folkie, mellow numbers, this self-produced set melds dual genres with dual success. A propulsive keyboard line gets toes tapping with “Morning Exercise,” and sassy guitars recollect The Clash on “The System.” By track four, things take a turn for the slower and prettier, and stay that way through the moth-light acoustic guitar of “Butterflies.” The album does have one “huh?” moment — the out-of-place near-hoedown of “Never Be Alright” — but it's immediately negated by the quirky perfect pairing of organ and violin on “My Little Friend.” — Kristi Kates

JET BLACK CRAYON

In the Interim (Function 8)
Behold the half-pipe avant-garde

Time definitely does fly when you're having fun, and few people know that better than bassist/guitarist/skater/instigator Tommy Guerrero, who for nearly 10 years now (no way!) has been churning out freaky tech-hop dub-metal soundscapes with computer geek cohorts Monte Vallier and Gadget as Jet Black Crayon. Although the trio's fifth release clocks in at less than 30 minutes, such sonic mind-melds as “Lost in the Fog” (featuring Tortoise's John Herndon and Dan Bitney on percussion) more than make up for it, as does the companion DVD with short films by seven different directors. — Bill Murphy

JUNKIE XL

Booming Back at You (Artwerk)
For about to (club) rock

Rock influences propelled much of Tom Holkenborg's last album, Today (which announced his relocation from Amsterdam to Venice Beach), and they continue to flavor his latest opus, this time with singers Lauren Rocket (on the electro-punk anthem “More”) and Nicole Morier (on the light-as-air psych-pop ditty “Mad Pursuit”) at the helm, as well as Dim Mak label honcho Steve Aoki (“1967 Poem”) and Divine Heresy's Tommy Vext (on the title track). Although he takes fewer chances with his signature bug-out vocal resynthesis than he has in the past, this is still XL near the top of his game. — Bill Murphy

KIDZ IN THE HALL

The In Crowd (Duck Down)
Brains and brawn

After an acclaimed debut and the slick Detention mixtape, Chi-Town's Kidz in the Hall slam into the front gates of The In Crowd. MC Naledge thunders capably (check the Detention freestyles) over Double-0's “Juice (Know the Ledge)” — aping shrill brass and upright bass on the impossibly vicious opener “Blackout.” It can't retain this rush, but The In Crowd is catchy and packs decent beats — check the plinks on “Drivin' Down the Block” and percussion array on “Snob-Hop.” Naledge slings vivid imagery with little effort, and his partner more than antes up for earned shine in their own crowd. — Dominic Umile

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