Guitarist Vernon Reid and DJ Logic released their first album on Rope a Dope in 2002, but their particular blend of rock, jazz fusion, electronica, and hip hop seems tailor-made to Thirsty Ear's Blue Series. On their second outing, The Tao of Yo, the Yohimbe Brothers join forces with Chris Castagno and Danny Blume, also known as GoodandEvil, a production team oft-used in the series. This collaboration yields a record which is powerful, eclectic, soulful, and stirring.

Reid has long involved political commentary in his music, and The Tao is no exception. Songs like "TV," "Words They Choose," and "More from Life" espouse casting a suspicious eye both at our government and the propagandizing of network media apparatuses. Guest turns by vocalists and rappers Latasha Nevada Diggs, Shantyman, Taylor McFerrin, Bos Omega, Traz, and Ricky Quinones assure that the narrators vary throughout the album, even if their message remains similar.

Of course, whether or not you are sympathetic to their viewpoint, there is no denying the force of Reid and Logic's formidable musical powers. Reid's guitar-god prowess remains undiminished; he is able to craft a funky and hard rhythm guitar groove on "TV" that would effortlessly fit in as part of his Living Colour oeuvre, while "The Secret Frequency" features incandescent solo fireworks. Logic's turntablism is consummately tasteful, mixing solid beats with singular textural flair. Even when the canvass is somewhat minimally constructed, as on "Words They Choose," all of the rhythmic essentials are present and placed with tremendous care. Tao of Yo creates message-filled music that truly resonates. - Christian Carey