Jurassic 5: Power In Numbers

Jurassic 5's eagerly anticipated follow-up to Quality Control feels a little underwhelming, but that's probably because J5 ally Blackalicious so effectively raised the bar for West Coast hip-hop with its recent Blazing Arrow. Of course, Jurassic 5 is partially to blame for the high expectations, since assists from group members Cut Chemist and Chali 2Na helped make Arrow a huge improvement over its predecessor. Anyone hoping for evidence that J5 is about to take a similar leap is likely to be disappointed, however, since Power In Numbers merely marks a steady progression along the path laid out by its stellar predecessor. But where Quality Control limited its guest appearances to shout-outs from Bigga B, Sean Lennon, and Sherman Hemsley, Power In Numbers boasts a smartly deployed roster of guest artists who fit snugly into the Jurassic 5 template. On "A Day At The Races," Big Daddy Kane and Percy P help J5 prove that Edan doesn't have a monopoly on resurrecting the lightning-fast flows of the late '80s. "Thin Line" benefits from the presence of Nelly Furtado, who bolsters the song's soulful take on the hazards of blurring the line separating friendship and romance. Jurassic 5's chemistry remains as tight as ever, with the group's six members forming a potent whole. But for all its craft and precision, Power In Numbers lacks the scruffy, intimate personality of less polished and more heartfelt nostalgia specialists like People Under The Stairs. Like Dilated Peoples, Jurassic 5 sounds strangely sterile, even when its athletic flows and sturdy beats delve into lyrical subject matter both personal and political. The group's old-school ethos begins to feel like formula on Power In Numbers, though that formula can still yield remarkable results.