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*** Wu-Tang Clan

THE W

(Loud)

Steeped in New Yawk neck throbbers and teeming with wicked wordplay, The W delivers another dose of hearty Wu-Tang hip-hop fare. The rst single, “The Jump Off,” packs an old-school punch; “Careful (Click Click)” could be the rawest Wu cipher joint since “Diesel,” from the Soul in the Hole soundtrack. And paraplegics could get loose on the bounciest track and latest single, “The Gravel Pit.” Clocking in at under 55 minutes, The W is short on ller and heavy on hooks, though the track featuring a cameo by rapper Nas, “Let My Niggas Live,” never hits its true stride. Busta Rhymes and Redman also make brief appearances, as does Snoop Dogg, who teams with ODB on the half-baked “Conditioner.” Inspectah Deck and the baroque baritone of Masta Killa (think a more monotone Method Man) claim a generous share of the spotlight, further proof the Wu’s bench squad can hold it down. And Ghostface Killah, who once proclaimed that his increasingly space-age vernacular was akin to “feeding steak to a baby,” lays down verse that’s chewier than a Chuck Wagon T-bone special. But his bugged-out delivery is what nails it on “I Can’t Go to Sleep,” where Ghostface and the RZA sell the drama with shrieking, tweeter-shredding vocals atop eerie keys and dripping violin.

— Chris Conti