PPT

Denglish (Idol Records)

By Pete Freedman

published: April 17, 2008

Pikahsso, Picnic and Tahiti have pretty much become synonymous with Dallas hip-hop in recent years. The contagious fun of their debut album, 2006's Tres Monos in Love deserves its share of credit. So does PPT's constant performing and knack for self-promotion. But something happened between that first release and the band's new sophomore effort, Denglish. Maybe expectations grew too big. Or maybe PPT's self-confidence did. Either way, Denglish finds PPT stumbling over the same goofiness that usually makes their act so endearing.

For the most part, Denglish is a concept album. On it, PPT blends English-accented rap with its own brand of party-influenced Dallas hip-hop. But the trick only works on the second ("Masterbook Theater") and second-to-last ("To Me Mum") tracks—and only then because the English elements in these efforts are barely noticeable. Otherwise, much of the disc devolves into a ludicrous English-tinged, Outkast-wannabe sideshow that's well-produced, but loses its quirky luster after the first listen.

If it weren't for four seizure-inducing party anthems strewn throughout the disc—"Dallas Got That Soul," "Who's That Girl?," "Jubilee (Til The Sunlight)," "Higher"—that hearken back to what PPT does best, this album would be something of a bust. Thankfully, it's not.