Hangar 18

Too much that stumbles out into the world with the Definitive Jux seal of approval is too quirky for its own good. Sweep the Leg often fails to avoid the same pratfalls that have doomed other artists/groups on the record label. The beats still pack that Def Jux wallop of futuristic boom bap, stuttering and stomping to DJ paWL’s direction. Of these tracks, "Room To Breathe” is a standout, with MCs Alaska and Windnbreez spinning tales with their tongues tied, effortlessly leaping from one random train of thought to the next. Fatherhood and religion get tackled midfield on the second verse of the exceptional "Sad” but a lack of lyrical focus ensures most listeners will keep their distance. "Really Wide” features a great sing-along hook and a pulsating beat that demand dancing. When that happens it doesn’t really matter what each MC is saying so long as it rides the beat. "Bakin’ Soda,” however, is a perfect example of where Def Jux artists go wrong. It’s just a bunch of non-sequiturs strung together with rotting rope, uttered so fast you can’t even figure out what’s going on. Sometimes absolute confusion can corrupt as much as absolute power.