Pieced together rather quickly,
Robbin' the Hood
wasn't really intended to be the follow-up to
Sublime
's debut,
40 Oz. to Freedom
, but what is shocking is how much better the record is than its predecessor. Boasting a wider range of influences -- including elements of reggae and old-school hip-hop -- the record is a loose, infectious blend of styles that rides along on its own sense of energy.
Brad Nowell
's songwriting might still be at a rudimentary level, but the group sounds more muscular and musical than before, demonstrating that the breakthrough of its sole major-label record,
, wasn't an accident. [
was re-released on LP in 2016.] ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine