Mongrel - Hit From the Morning Sun

In their finer moments here, Mongrel come over as snotty and snappy thanks to some furious emceeing from guest vocalist Pariz-1. The group pools members from Arctic Monkeys and Babyshambles, attempting to bridge UK guitar rock across the river to hip-hop. In this case, the grass is greener on the other side. The beat and blasting horn riffs raise pulses, but when the rock elements enter the equation – especially a crooned refrain of the title that sounds too close to Linkin Park for comfort – the energy stagnates, and the track goes as flat as a rapper’s spilled Cristal. [Jason Morton]