With THE THIRD HAND, RJD2's major-label debut, he moves away from the straight-forward instrumental hip-hop of his earlier albums for something more folk-rock oriented. And if that sounds odd, well, it does take a little time to get used to, right from the lyrics and rolling pianos of "You Never Had It So Good." Luckily, the beats are still crisp, even as they become relegated more to the background. Instead, at the fore, is psychedelic 70s pop. The bass of "Reality" adds a gritty feel, while the tempo speeds up on "Work It Out" to bring the breaks to a finger-snapping melody. Similarly, the funky "Beyond The Beyond" stands out with its balance of beats and instruments, while "Sweet Peace" has a hint of romance in its funk. And even though "The Evening Gospel" takes out the album on a swooning note, I wonder if the album slips by just a little too easily.

On THE THIRD HAND INSTRUMENTALS, RJD2 gets a chance to show off his pure songwriting skills, and from the wavering harmonics of "Intro" to the psych-folk-rock of "You Never Had It So Good." Indeed, psych-rock seems to be a strong influence on the album, whether spry, as on "Work It Out", but "Someday" takes a straight acoustic route, while the grinding keys and beats of "The Bad Penny" or the archaic stylings of "Beyond The Beyond" hint at his earlier, more hip-hop oriented work. (The pure electro of "Just When" is just plain fun.) "The Evening Gospel" hearkens back to start of the album with its gentle chords. An interesting change of direction for RJD2.