File Under: Hip-hop rating: B tracks 1. Stick Em Up 2. Mr. Jinx 3. Baseline 4. Malone Lives 5. Tarfur 6. Copycat 7. Transparent Parents 8. Weirdo 9. Xeneizes 10. Fuck You Puto 11. Dive In 12. Bless related links Quarashi

Imagine a group of kids in Iceland who are hopelessly addicted to the Beastie Boys album, Check Yo Head. Now picture how they would sound if they started a group. This is what Quarashi is.

Despite being billed as a four-man group, the songs are basically done by music writer Sölvi and lead rapper Hössi, whose voice is very similar to that of Mike D. These two layer together some great old skool hip-hop tracks that make their way out of the door before their charm begins to deteriorate.

Also appearing on the album are the remaining members of Quarashi, who make only brief appearances. These two, Stoney and Omar Swarez, appear on only three and five track, respectively. Neither appear on a track together. Despite their limited input, their voice help break the monotony of hearing only Hössi’s voice, especially on tracks such as "Stick Em Up" and "Xeneizes."

Sölvi’s beats and musical schemes stand on their own against those of other music producers today. Already looking like a hip-hop prodigy, Sölvi produced, arranged and mixed the entire album. Sölvi shines on his instrumental solo track, "Bless," which shows a great deal of potential.

Already having secured a spot on this year’s Vans Warped Tour, the group looks to be following the same track a lot of their predecessors followed. It remains to be seen if this blend of music can stand up against a group of overheated pre-teens waiting on Blink-183 to play.

Samuel Barker is Senior Editor. Contact him at suma@rockzone.com.