The Roots is one of rap's only surviving purist live bands. In the musical world, the group is known for its organic sound, provided by live musicians and human beatbox/turntablists. But in the recording world, the group is known for its meticulous production and nit-picky attention to detail.

While its newest album, Phrenology, has some unprecedented quirks, in general, the way The Roots wants its music to boom sounds pretty good.

The group wastes no time getting to the good stuff. In typical Roots fashion, lead vocalist Black Thought attacks the listener with pure energy on the intense opener, "Rock You."

Like that track, most of the disc is straightforward modern hip-hop, with hooks that don't get annoying. "Sacrifice," featuring vocals from Nelly Furtado, is a perfect rap song with a positive message.

The album's first single, "Break You Off," features an unexpectedly soulful and beautiful coda that morphs the simple chorus into a string-driven drum 'n' bass masterpiece, undoubtedly The Roots' finest recorded moment.

On the other hand, listeners will hear tracks such as "Water" and the bizarre spoken word finale and either love or hate how the group takes them beyond anything that could ever be on the radio.

But it's impossible to ignore The Roots' thoroughness, and easy to understand why it is probably the only hip-hop group that can get away with including six minutes of ambient noise and a 25-second punk song on an album. Grade: A-

-- Reviewed by Paul Weinstein