6/10

In 2012, Public Enemy celebrated the 25th anniversary of their stellar debut album 'Yo! Bum Rush The Show' and the year ahead reintroduced them to a younger generation, thanks to an extensive world tour and the release of their twelfth studio album 'The Evil Empire Of Everything'. But now with almost no notice, the hip-hop legends are releasing a new album and from the start, it seems like the fire still burns bright.

For those that have followed Public Enemy right up to this day, they'll know that over the last decade, the group have been experimenting with various new directions in order to keep their presence fresh in this new millennium, and 'Man Plans God Laughs' is no different. While it still occasionally pays homage to the sample-filled productions of their origins, most obviously on 'Honky Tonk Rules' which takes its riff from the Rolling Stones' classic 'Honky Tonk Woman', much of the album sticks to a more contemporary style and while they don't always feel comfortable in it, it does show a great level of ingenuity within their sound.

Overall, 'Man Plans God Laughs' is a so-so return for these pioneers of a generational movement. Obviously they have left their best material behind them but there are still glimmers of greatness on this record and that will be enough to see them back out there doing what they do best all over again.