R.A.F.I.

by Jason BirchmeierOn R.A.F.I., the Asian Dub Foundation further refines their sound, honing their blend of miscellaneous styles -- ragga, jungle, dub, rock, hip-hop, rap -- to a consistent aesthetic characterizing each of the songs and the album as a whole. Yet with this newfound consistency, part of the experimental ideology that fueled their breakthrough album, Rafi's Revenge, has been polished in favor of the evolved sound. If this album is less daring with its application of influence, it also benefits from this very lack of daringness by staying true to a common sound: fractured drum'n'bass rhythms, deep dub basslines, dancehall reggae rapping, revolutionary ideology, and rock accessibility. This album won't lead anyone to call them the next Rage Against the Machine, but it will satisfy anyone with a hunger for the group's truly patented sound.