Blu, one of L.A.’s most promising MCs, captured the West Coast soul-tinged vibe pretty damn well on his 2007 debut with the help of producer Exile. But that album isn’t nearly as adventurous as Blu’s new collaboration with Detroit rapping producer Ta’Raach called C.R.A.C. (pronounced “crass,” not “crack”). What makes The Piece Talks magnetic is how their unrestrained approach allows them to cover so much ground without sounding overly rehearsed. Blu and Raach get breezy (“Love Don’t”), bugged-out (“Bullet Through Me”), and dead serious (“Respect”) while never really losing hold of their lucid flows and bump-worthy beats (courtesy of Ta’Raach). C.R.A.C. may very well go down as one of the best new hip-hop duos in the ’08.