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HearHomeand you immediately hear why Michel Franti disposed of Disposable Heroes and created Spearhead. Where the Heroes' arty beatscapes were mechanical and heavily sampled, Franti's new joint is all natural: a "real" band, soulful backing divas, melodies, loose and funky beats. The title track's just Franti with acoustic guitar, singing quietly. Vernon Reid adds a cruel solo to "Caught Without an Umbrella"; "Love Is da Shit" revives Go-Go. And whether he's anxiously awaiting the results of an AIDS test, debating if he should place change in a homeless man's cup, or speaking to folks caught between ideologies on the left and right, Franti's poetry/slam rhymes are surely among hip hop's brightest science.--David Cantwell