Restless

Death Row might be dead, but on Xzibit's third album, Restless, the West Coast crew prove that they're still a major artistic force to be reckoned with.

Produced by Dr Dre and featuring Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Tha Liks and Nate Dogg amongst others, the record works as an amalgam of contrasting sounds, rubbing up against each other to occasionally stunning effect.

Xzibit's frenzied rapping simmers and frazzles against Dre's trademark super smooth production vibes, while the guest vocalists add extra character to the mix. Snoop drips his honeyed drawl all over the end of 'X', Eminem whines on (again, but still brilliantly) about annoying fans on 'Don't Approach Me' and Dre cuts in on 'U Know' to hit his detractors where it hurts. "The No.1. ranked, highest paid celebrity guest," he raps, before adding viciously, "That's eight digits, motherfuckers."

Xzibit's lyrics work best when he stops boasting how much he can drink or how much practice he's had in bed - that is, when he forgets the tired old rap clichés and begins, in his own words, to "stand on my own two feet". 'Sorry I'm Away So Much', where Xzibit apologises for his long absences to his five-year-old son, stands as one of the more subdued highlights of the album.

Xzibit never lets the presence of his multi-million selling guest stars overwhelm him. No matter who the collaboration is with, he never fails to bring intensity to the tunes and generate his own brand of sparks. Standout tracks, 'X' and 'Best of Things', with their dramatic, orchestral rushes and tight beats, also shows that he can carry the spotlight on his own.

The main failing of Restless is its self-indulgent duration. At an hour long and containing sixteen tracks, it seems that just about everybody on the West Coast gets their two words on this album. If, as Snoop raps on 'D.N.A.', the thinking was, "fuck that shit, we can all get rich", he's probably right.

Unfortunately, that doesn't change the heavy load of the dead weight. Tracks like 'Double Time', 'Rimz & Tirez', 'Get Your Walk On' and 'Kenny Parker Show' don't do anything Xzibit doesn't do much better elsewhere.

A sparkling, if bloated release.