ALBUM REVIEW

***; SPEARHEAD, “Home” ( Capitol )

On his past efforts, with the groups the Beatnigs and the critically lauded Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, the street poetry of Spearhead’s Michael Franti was couched in punk, thrash and industrial grooves that were punctuated with elements of hip-hop. With “Home,” the debut album from his latest group, the music is a more accessible blend of rap, R&B; and folk.

Many rap artists invoke the name of Gil Scott-Heron when citing primary influences, but few have a claim as valid as Franti’s. Possessing a deep, caramel-smooth voice that resembles the elder word-man’s, Franti pushes the similarity even further with his socially themed lyrics. Tackling issues such as AIDS, racism, social apathy and poverty, Franti uses both fierce intelligence and compassion to blur the lines between personal and universal concerns. In the past, his wordiness often drifted into preachiness. With “Home,” however, he tempers the politics with a real soulfulness, securing his position as one of hip-hop’s brightest hopes.

New albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).