This is the blandest 'Deli' ever

Slum Village, despite some stunning production in the past, cannot hold on to its members nor write a decent track without guest stars and clichés aplenty. It's a shame, because when the collective remixed Daft Punk's "Aerodynamic" in 2002, they were in top form, and despite being extraordinarily hit-or-miss, it's last album, Trinity (Past, Present and Future), at least attempted to bring an electronic music angle to rap production. With an ever-changing lineup and a new production style that seems middle-of-the-road and uninteresting, the new album, Detroit Deli (A Taste of Detroit), is completely mediocre. It's certainly nothing that will distinguish them among the masses of Detroit acts (or rap acts in general).\nThat's not to say that Elzhi and T3 can't rap, nor is it to say that the beats aren't bass-laden and the tracks aren't hummable. It's just nothing to get excited about -- the guest production of Kanye West on "Selfish" is the high point of the album, and Dirt McGirt's guest slot is painful and forgettable. The lyrics are sometimes clever but more often bland, and songs like "Do You" may make you cringe. Slum Village gets credit for excluding unnecessary skits, but that's hardly enough to redeem an album with no direction, conviction or inspiration. It's a shame, but there's nothing here that's new or even remotely exciting.