Even compared to their already excellent and forward-looking catalog, 's sprawling third album, , was a stroke of brilliance. The chilled-out - of had already thrown some fans for a loop, and made it clear that its predecessor was no detour, but a stepping stone for even greater ambitions. Some of ' ethereal futurism is still present, but more often plants its feet on the ground for a surprisingly down-home flavor. The music draws from a vastly eclectic palette of sources, and the live instrumentation is fuller-sounding than . Most importantly, producers imbue their tracks with a Southern earthiness and simultaneous spirituality that come across regardless of what and are rapping about. Not that they shy away from rougher subject matter, but their perspective is grounded and responsible, intentionally avoiding cliches. Their distinctive vocal deliveries are now fully mature, with a recognizably Southern rhythmic bounce but loads more technique than their territorial peers. Those flows grace some of the richest and most inventive tracks of the decade. The airy lead single juxtaposes front-porch acoustic guitar with DJ scratches and a stomping harmonica break that could have come from nowhere but the South. Unexpected touches like that are all over the record: the live orchestra on ; the , -guested horns and -style echo of ; the hard-rocking wah-wah guitar of ; and on and on. What's most impressive is the way everything comes together to justify the full-CD running time, something few epics of this scope ever accomplish. After a few listens, not even the meditative jams on the second half of the album feel all that excessive. fulfills all its ambitions, covering more than enough territory to qualify it as a virtuosic masterpiece, and a landmark album of the late '90s. ~ Steve Huey