In the 1990s, a new Goodie Mob album meant three things: an anything-goes approach, some lyrical food for thought, and an uplifting, familial vibe. After an acrimonious split and Cee-Lo’s mutation into a global pop star with Gnarls Barkley, a reunion seemed too much to hope for – but this warm, wonderful record is a joyous, head-spinning delight. Nothing here sounds conventional or pre-planned; even the tracks that most resemble 21st century hip-hop (the pugnacious ‘I’m Set’, ‘Valleujah”s mix of euphoria and portent) revel in strangeness and individuality.
Angus Batey