Psyence Fiction

By CHRISTOPHER JOHN FARLEY

Guest-star-heavy albums are like award shows: far less entertaining than the sum of their performers. But the debut by the duo Unkle (made up of James Lavelle, owner of Mo' Wax Records, and trip-hopper DJ Shadow) is an exception. Its guest roster includes Radiohead's Thom Yorke, the Verve's Richard Ashcroft and Beastie Boys' Mike D. The album also surveys the sounds of trip-hop, hip-hop and indie rock. Despite its disparate parts, a sustained mood is achieved. You know the way you felt the first time you saw Pulp Fiction, before the hype or the backlash? Listening to this album feels like that. Very cool.

--By Christopher John Farley