Black Sunday

If memory serves me, about two years ago this group were called The Cypress Hill Gang, under which guise they released a controversial single, 'How I Could Just Kill A Man'. Whether their decision to trim their name, and consequent tame their nasty boy image has anything to do with Columbia's influence is uncertain but it's probably a wise commercial move as the backlash against gangster rap goes on.

But major label considerations aside, the dropping of the 'gang' actually suits Black Sunday. The lyrical content here is significantly more light-hearted than their debut, justifying legalized marijuana more often than killing, and boasting a brilliant single with the mindless refrain: "Insane in the membrane, insane in the brain."

Indeed most of the songs here, as is true of most of this branch of more dance-oriented rap, rely on simple catchphrases like"I want to get high, so high," "When the shit goes down, you better be ready," and "I ain't going out like that, ain't going out like that," set to deep, bassy grooves. While the formula makes for an album (and a genre) that's a bit same-y, there's absolutely no shortage of physically invigorating, vocally playful tracks.

Cypress Hill do, however, go a bit overboard with the legalize marijuana schtick. There are constant lyrical references, and the bulk of the text in the liner notes is devoted to fun facts about pot ("George Washington and Thomas Jefferson grew hemp, Washington, our first president, declared, 'Make the most of the hemp seed. Sow it everywhere'") and explanations of everything that is wonderful about it.

Why Cypress Hill are so concerned about the matter you can figure out for yourselves with one listen to mellow tracks like 'Legalize It' and 'Hits From the Bong' - songs no doubt conceived in a dark, smoky back room full of people under the influence.

Fortunately, when all is said and done, Black Sunday's tightly rolled hip hop delivers as good a high as its drug of choice.

• Tara McCarthy