Spearhead: Songs from the Front Porch

By RUSSELL BAILLIE

As the name suggests, this is an acoustic set by the locally much admired frequent visitor Michael Franti and his San Francisco hip-hop/soul outfit Spearhead.

While its backbone is old Spearhead tracks unplugged and reworked, it still stands up as a warm, fresh and cohesive album of its own that doesn't require any exposure to his earlier work to enjoy as a set of sundowner funky pop.

And for a man who once shouted to be heard over the noise of his previous rap outfit, the Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, here Franti shows that his deep, dark singing voice may now be his greater asset.

That's whether he's working up a sweat on the Latin-grooved Love Invincible, getting a Jose Feliciano kind of jazzy on Firefly, or offering sweetly restrained versions of the once-strident Spearhead tracks Anybody Seen My Mind and Oh My God.

Those who like the approach of the likes of Ben Harper and Jack Johnson, but worry that there's not that much content beneath their organic approach, could do a lot worse than add this one to their collection.

(Boo Boo Wax)