What differentiates
the Kottonmouth Kings
'
Cloud Nine
from the rest of their huge discography isn't the subject matter -- it's still weed, rebellion, weed, and weed -- but the general feeling that about a quarter of the songs here are more influenced by the Cali alt-rock of
Sugar Ray
and
Smash Mouth
than
ICP
, even though the evil clowns do show up for the "blaze your own trails" anthem
"Think 4 Yourself."
There are still those punk numbers that sound like
the Beastie Boys
if they never grew up and some good, hard-hitting hip-hop, like when guest
Tech N9ne
shines all over
"City 2 City,"
but
"One Day"
is a surprisingly bright and dreamy number that perfectly suits a bunch of punkish stoners growing old. The reggae light of
"Pass It Around"
would play fine at any all-inclusive resort, and the laid-back
"Proud to Be a Stoner"
sounds like it was found stuck between the seats of a 1972 hippie van. If there's any reason to worry about this mellowing, it's that sometimes the production sounds too button-up for the punk and rock-rap numbers, although
"Loadies"
gets it just right thanks to some gutsy fuzz guitar. A few fans might fall off, a few fans might jump on because of the group's ever-growing love of chillin' and sunshine, but this otherwise straight-up-the-middle
Kings
album won't surprise or sway most. ~ David Jeffries