As a representative of the "rap intelligentsia" (his own words), Busdriver does a fair job of reminding us that hip hop is not dead.

That's not to say that this is a flawless album though. In many ways it is the striving for constant originality that sometimes makes Roadkillovercoat grate and lose its cohesion. In fact, the fifth release from Busdriver is not so much an album as a collection of tangents, be they lyrical or musical.

Despite this over-eagerness to innovate, and a couple of stinkers (most notably the dull 'Go Slow', an attempt at ambient dub hip-hop), the album is filled with surprises and refreshing experiments - not least thanks to the progressive electronic production by Boom-Bip and DJ Nobody.

All this aside, Roadkillovercoat is another step in hip hop's continued full-circle journey back to its electro roots. (Zander Grinfeld)