Speech: Spiritual People

By GRAHAM REID

(Herald rating: * * * )

Arrested Development were briefly the most promising hip-hop outfit of the early 90s, then became one of the fastest disappearing. Guess that's what happens when you name an album Zingalamaduni.

Actually what happened was this Atlanta-based outfit which brought a lazy delivery and consciousness-raising ethics went down in ironic flames when the in-fighting and pettiness took over. All the fine, uplifting messages couldn't save them from themselves, it seemed.

In the aftermath their philosophical mouthpiece Speech delivered a blend of Sly Stone/Marvin Gaye soul-funk with his customary layer of earnestness on a couple of solo outings. He doesn't change the formula of limber hip-hop soul on this weightily titled offering either. Still knowing what's best for us, he preaches tolerance and understanding; complains about music now being a commodity and a sponsor's product; insists on the virtues of the simple life, and so on. He dances around between uplifting beats, offers gospel-inflected raps, brings in a touch of reggae-lite, references Sly Stone again, opens his box of slo-mo soul and leans on Steely Dan for Burning Rage Inside. Sometimes this feels a little moralistic and finger-wagging but at its best — the lazy pop ballad A Traveler, the silly but summery Cruisin' in my Super Beetle, the groove-heavy and piano-driven Ghetto Fabulous — there's still that low-key down-home charm.

And when he isn't humourless he's actually quite funny.

Label: Shock