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Pimpadelic - Southern Devils

Three stars

If the listener can get past the fact that there is nothing at all socially redeemable about their albums, Kid Rock sound-alikes Pimpadelic are fairly entertaining performers.

Full of Kid Rock-style rap/metal beats with country flourishes, their major-label debut Southern Devils plays like a perfect trailer-park party soundtrack. Songs cover such edgy topics as drugs and strippers, the music never strays beyond one bruising rhythm, and the singing sucks; despite this, the album is lots of fun.

The music is fairly predictable, with lots of pounding drumbeats, distorted, death-metal guitars, and the occasional hip-hop breakbeat, courtesy of DJ MIA. However, every song is played with lots of energy. That propulsive quality is what makes the album enjoyable - Pimpadelic isn't trying to make songs that mean something, just some fun and naughty music.

MCs Easy Jesus and Dirty K are not terribly skilled rappers, but they are lively; they trade rhymes with a decidedly Beastie Boys-influenced flair, one MC's lines overlapping those of the next. Their subjects never stray far from the trailer park and the strip club, and most of the songs are simple boasting exercises. However, both MCs are funny, and the punchlines make their lyrics bearable - except for the handful of occasions when one of them regrettably tries singing.

Pimpadelic isn't going to change the face of modern music; nor does it want to. It is a party band, a soundtrack to good, sleazy fun. Familiar beats, fun raps and a gloriously perverse tone make this the perfect companion for a night spent sitting on the porch, drinking malt liquor and talking about pro wrestling.