Two years after releasing the excellent, freewheeling full-length
Bad Neighbor, Los Angeles-area rap trio
MED,
Blu, and
Madlib returned with the brief but potent EP
The Turn Up. It isn't quite specified whether these tracks were outtakes from
Bad Neighbor or recorded specifically for the release, but they work as a nice post-script all the same. Partner in crime
Oh No assists on the title track, which balances talk of gunplay with a laid-back party vibe, driven by a typically choppy
Madlib beat featuring accordion and a scrap of what might be a Bollywood sample. The EP's highlight is "Even Though," a more affectionate tune with strong yet teary-eyed lyrics delivered over a weepy string sample from a crackly old soul record. Aside from these two and the ragga-fied "Jungles" (featuring
Black Shakespeare), the EP features two brief but tantalizing beat fragments, as well as instrumental and a cappella versions of two songs. ~ Paul Simpson