The Coup

Kicking things off with “Bullets and Love,” the Coup makes it clear right away that this is more than an angry rage-against-everything disc of protest tracks. Songs like “Laugh/Love/Fuck” and “I Just Wanna Lay Around All Day In Bed With You” manage to combine sex rhymin’ with heavy social critique, flawlessly. After all, what would inspire you to fight for a perfect world more than a perfect love? Guests Black Thought and Talib Kweli join frontman Boots Riley, but the MC owes the biggest thanks to bandmate Pam the Funktress, whose old-school turntabling hits a new peak. She brings in more funk influence than ever before and shines even among the album’s all-star live band. This is the best album of the Coup’s career and probably the best hip-hop album so far this year.