Light Poles and Pine Trees [PA] (CD - 2006)

Though Field Mob sticks with its rural-minded perspective on 2006's LIGHT POLES AND PINE TREES, the Georgia-based hip-hop duo offers up another round of tracks that are custom-made for inner-city clubs. A straight-up set of beat-driven Dirty South anthems, the record finds Smoke and Shawn Jay easing into rhymes about cars (the slightly screwed "My Wheels"), women (the R&B/pop-tinged "So What," featuring Ciara), and their roots (the catchy "Smilin'," with Ludacris). The pair's most accessible and assured outing to date, LIGHT POLES is sure to please Mob diehards and win over some new fans as well.

Integrated as a significant part of Ludacris' Disturbing tha Peace collective, signaled by the Luda and Jamie Foxx-assisted hit "Georgia" (reprised here), Field Mob has a considerable amount of momentum (as well as a new label) behind them as they release Light Poles and Pine Trees, their third album. Everything is in place for the duo to gain far more exposure than before, and they answer the call with another set that displays their flexibility -- from the poignant and funny "Blacker the Berry" (Luda is absolutely correct that Shawn Jay and Smoke are two of the best lyricists around) to the playful and party-ready "At the Park." Pre-album single "So What," featuring a hook from Ciara, is even softer than the duo's 2002 hit "Sick of Being Lonely" and has "unavoidable summer hit" written all over it, in spite of its melancholy character (and yet more of producer Jazze Pha's gratuitous vocal stamping). A couple tracks in particular -- "Baby Bend Over," an obvious stab at striking platinum with sleazy whispering over a sparse production, as well as the Kelis-quoting "I Hate You," featuring the disruptive lead singer of DTP resident rockers Lazyeye -- prevent Light Poles from topping the duo's first two albums. (These miscues are especially frustrating since the hot "Friday Night" was, for whatever reason, left off the album.) Even with its considerable flaws, the album proves that Field Mob is one of the South's finest and most unique acts. ~ Andy Kellman minimize