July 27, 2006 @ 1:02 pm

Field Mob - Light Poles and Pine Trees (DTP/Geffen)

by: Gregory Johnson

right In today’s crunked-up, snap-happy hip hop world, Field Mob aims to prove that witty lyrics, bright song concepts, and breezy tunes can still triumph in the Dirty South. Lights Poles and Pine Trees, Smoke and Shawn J’s third LP (and first as members of Ludacris’s Disturbing Tha Peace outfit), is peppered with enough wah-wah grooves to remind any Southernplayalistic purist of Organized Noize’s melodic style.

“The Blacker the Berry,” a humorous ode to the beauty of dark skin, is as clever as an Andre 3000 brainstorm. Similarly, the soulful smash “Georgia,” featuring Ludacris, takes a far more enlightening stance on Southern pride than the usual rep-your-trap set. Still, the record falls off balance at times.

Though the infectious crunk & B–ish “So What,” featuring Ciara, is a nice play to radio, “D.U.I.” and “Baby Bend Over”—two raucous, 808-heavy attempts to keep up with the club set—contrast starkly with the rest of the album’s airy aura. Despite those few missteps, Pine Trees is a welcome tribute to Southern music circa 1995.

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Article tags: Field Mob, Hip Hop, Vibe Mag, Vibe Magazine, Cassie, Ciara, DMX 

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