In the world of Grand Analog, there’s no such thing as a sophomore slump. The band’s debut full-length in 2007 served up smooth beats and rhymes, but it has nothing on the near-perfect Metropolis is Burning. Former Mood Ruff MC Odario conceived Grand Analog as a hip hop outfit that relied more on live instrumentation than prepackaged digital samples and on this album, the result is spectacular. With its slinky rock guitar riffs, dubbed-out reggae influence and electro synths, the album does a bit of genre hopping, but every second of the album whispers hot summer jam. It doesn’t hurt that the killer backing band is joined by some great guest stars. Maiko Watson’s R&B crooning makes “I’m on Fire” sexier than it has any right to be, Shad throws down some tight rhymes on “Electric City,” and album closer “Light So Bright” features more great work from the ubiquitous Cadence Weapon. Despite all the accents, the heart of the album is Odario. His production is massive, his rhymes are slick and his sense of humour is wry and smart. Get ready to turn it up and get down.