This album, Dayz Like This, by the nine-member Maroon Colony is definitely pleasing to the ear: Accomplished musicians creating some awesome, jazz-infected hip-hop to accompany four very talented emcees. I would compare them to the Roots, musically. Ev, Josh, Ken, Drew, and Van manage to play some lively, groovy, and sometimes psychedelic music, while keeping it uncluttered enough for Krisys (AKA Khalil Crisis, AKA Khingz), Mensah, Weapon X, and Sunspot to lay down some lyrical density. The emcees evoke a decidedly West Coast vibe–and by west coast I mean Cali–which is surprising since a lot of what came out of Seattle back then seemed to borrow a lot from the more rugged east coast sound. I always regretted not seeing this group live, because you can tell from this album that a show by the Colony would have been heat. However, the energy of a dope live show doesn’t always translate smoothly to tape, and that is, unfortunately, the case here. But don’t let that deter you, as this is some classic creativity by a group of talented artists. Vitamin D guests on the hidden track at the end. (This review originally appeared on the Bring That Beat Back blog and was written by Jack Devo.)