If you haven't heard much from the rap group The Pharcyde [ tickets ] lately, it's not your imagination. Missing in action since 1995's Labcabcalifornia, the group has finally resurfaced, minus a major label deal, but boasting some of their best work to date. Chapter One, the groups latest, was released without any label support, major or minor, and without so much as even a track listing on the jacket. This EP is the kind of thing you might pass by if you weren't paying attention, but you'd be making a big mistake.

The five tracks on Chapter One represent a creative high point for the group. The production work soars to levels of sophistication only hinted at on previous efforts. From the opening track Pain it's clear that the rhyming is tighter, the funk is smoother and the melodies are way more interesting than ever before. Whether it's a whistle along chorus or the falsetto crooning of Freaky, the record is a joy to listen to.

Ever since their debut in 1992 with Bizarre Ride II The Pharcyde, The Pharcyde have proved that they could trade rhymes with the best. Chapter One continues that tradition, and even pushes the envelope. If the tracks on this EP are indicative of what they can do on their own, the independence from a label has done them good. Chapter One may be hard to find, but for true hip-hop heads it's a gem worth digging up.

4 out of 4 stars