Music reviews. CD reviews. Critically hip!

Y Society’s Travel at Your Own Pace is that feel good hip-hop album you put in the player on a cruise with your less aggressive acquaintances. The beats are heavy but the content is very light. That’s not a bad thing, especially for me, coming off of a review of Jedi Mind Tricks’ latest violent fare. Actually, I’d say that made my experience with Travel at Your Own Pace just a little better. It’s just so distant from mainstream or hardcore rap themes that it comes off as delightfully wacky as any of Kanye West’s playful efforts.

Think Del the Funky Homosapien meets De La Soul at a Tribe Called Quest concert. That’s my quick, broad sketch of the vibe present here on this North-East Coast outfit’s initial output. Damu the Fudgemunk is the one rifling the old fusion jazz records while Insight presents the lyrical optimism. The two-some aren’t abrasively optimistic, however. They are just right. I think you know what I mean. This isn’t trite Black Eye Peas bilge. The stuff is smart and topical, but not so topical that it seems like a cop out for carrying a more divisive flag. Slightly political, Travel at Your Own Pace skims the rough edges of political agendas. Y Society doesn’t stuff any message down your throat. Rather, they take a, yes, philosophical stance that appeals more to the audience’s activism and not to the ham-fisted deconstruction of political ideals that any informed listener would cringe at (yeah, I’m talking about those pesky Black Eye Peas again). Regardless, Y Society is mainly involved with imparting an elevated outlook at life and the way we travel that crazy road, hence the title.

All the tracks on the album are redeemable and it’s obvious we have a potent combination between Damu the Fudgemunk and Insight. The pairing of Damu’s beats and samples is pitch perfect with the flittering of Insight’s flow. Damu lays out a really tight road map for Insight to traverse with soulful stride. There is a lot of heart here. There is a lot of talent here. I might not know what I’m talking a partial percentage of the time but I know when I hear an artist that floats steadily above the 90% level of effectiveness- and that’s Y Society. Sometimes their output goes beyond 100% and I’m left only to good feelings while I listen on. I almost forget I’m a critic.

Tracks that get me levitating peacefully above the ground include This is an Introduction, Never Off (On & On), Hole in Your Pocket, Good Communication, and Never Off (On & On) – Insight Remix. Get hooked on my picks. Visit Y Society’s Myspace page, as you are humorously reminded on Travel at Your Own Pace. If I must remind any reader who has stuck with my reviews, I don’t give out a recommendation lightly. And I heartily applaud this album. Just thought you should know. It’s world-class.