The sophomore release from The Sound & The Fury unfortunately comes only days before their break-up due conflicting schedules. However, Transitions builds upon the potential shown in their debut and reaches for that next level.

The duo of DJ Nes and Furious lace their tracks with some fresh samples, recorded drum breaks and conscious lyrics. Meanwhile, Jabba The Cutt ensures that all the songs transition smoothly throughout the album. While some political hip-hop tends to border on repetitive whining, The Sound & The Fury steer clear by providing crisp concise and hard-hitting messages.

'Gumflappers' is lyrically one of the best songs I've heard in years. It addresses the "better-than-thou" egos often encountered by newcomers to the hip-hop scene and admittedly I can relate. 'Garbage' addresses the western worlds obsession with burying the trash, rather than dealing with the problem when it matters most: now. That magical box of red, blue and green pushes contradictory images of skinny models and fast food in a one-minute span, as is discussed on 'TV.' 'Guns' provides my favorite beat while discussing the disturbing obsession that a sect of hip-hop has with these weapons of death.

Had The Sound & The Fury avoided the occasional filler interlude beats between songs, then Transitions would have been thoroughly enjoyable. Nonetheless, the duo provides some great beats, but ultimately it's their crisp ability to get across conscious messages that makes this album a keeper.