Anti-Crew has altered its sound drastically since its previous releases, both of which earned a spot in local hip-hop lore. How much have things changed? The best moments on the Foundation EP are the guitar solos. Flare tha Rebel and DJ Eternal have assembled a full band (guitarist Pat Attack, drummer Archangel and bassist Cambo), with which they generate hard funk ("Sky High '08"), shaggy reggae ("One Time"), aggro rap-rock ("Weapons of Mass Destruction") and emotive balladry ("After the End," a piano-laced track destined to attract comparisons with Linkin Park's "In the End"). The musicianship is solid, and the singing is clean and tuneful. Still, it's jarring to hear this material on an Anti-Crew release, and Flare doesn't yet ride these rock-band rhythms the way he does Eternal's soulful beats. But as the title suggests, Foundation is something on which to build.
