Psyche Origami

When artists let loose on their critics at this early stage of their career, it reeks of insecurity — especially when you’re an unknown. Everybody’s a critic. Not everything you make is classic and the song "Critic's Choice” draws unwanted attention to its quality. This disc is better than decent, though you can keep your shoes on, there’s no need to scurry off to the music store at the end of this sentence. Two parts DJ, one part emcee, this Atlanta-based trio ditch the traditional Dirty South shtick for a more playful Jurassic 5-type vibe. DJs Dainja and Synthesis hold down the turntables, filling ears with the moody jazz rap of the Native Tongue-era. Wyzsztyk, an emcee who describes his style as part Carl Sagan, oscillates between partying and hypothesising, often to the ear’s delight. "Commercial Culture,” one of the album’s best numbers, riffs on questionable marketing practices without taking itself too seriously. From start to finish, the album makes for easy listening, never heavy-handed but not enduring either.