Evidence

The Layover EP

[4/5]

The latest from Dilated Peoples’ MC Evidence riffs nicely on the idea of the layover, even to the extent that the EP represents a layover between last year’s solo debut, The Weatherman, and the follow-up, Cats & Dogs, due later this year. There’s a purgatorial tone to the slinky, low-riding “Solitary Confinement,” while metaphors of transit, process and inclement weather (“Rain Or Shine,” “The Cold Weather”) proliferate the disc. Anyone who’s endured the frustration of interminable travel interruption can appreciate the patience it requires, expressed in the mature tone of Ev’s science. None of the nine tracks (or one skit) feel extraneous, but the polished pop sway of “For Whom The Bell Tolls” (with the Black Eyed Peas’ will.i.am, Little Brother’s limber-lipped Phonte and Los Angeles-based newcomer Blu) and “Don’t Hate” (the loving, meditative collab with Likwit Junkies’ Defari) particularly stand out. (DECON; deaconrecords.com) Chris Parker