Dislocated Styles may be a name new to the general public, but this AZ based crew have been making a buzz within the underground since the mid 90's. Using a style of whiteboy hip-hop similar to the likes of the Phunk Junkeez, 2 Skinnee J's, 311 and the Kottonmouth Kings, the band kick out feel good vibes with a plethora of witty rhymes and the occasional ominous message. Enlisting an eclectic blend of instrumentation and slick production, the lyrics spin tales of a wide range of offbeat topics as catchy rhythms clash with a touch of edgy guitar work and solid beats that bring up the rear.

The vocals are skilled and full of variety, featuring contributions from frontman Mesi along with parts done by keyboardist Greg, bassist Joe and turntablist J Dubs, which interlock together tightly, featuring just a slight bit of tension to add some grit. Lyrically sharp, countless infectious rhymes are let loose and range from references of pop and cyber culture to the bands favorite past times of drinking, weed and sex. Guitar playing is fairly ambient for the most part, though a few crunchy riffs help guide the choruses, while funky, though not excessive, bass lines keep the lowend bouncing along. Drum wise, the album is bolstered by clean tones and focused beats, full of flavor as they consistently throw in clever variations and heady rolls that relentlessly charge forward. Meanwhile, the included turntable and sampling provided is impressive, using traditional hip hop styled scratches and vibrant noises that are finely integrated within the songs, allowing them to add depth rather than draw attention to themselves or stand out obtrusively.

The album features re-worked versions of material from the bands two previous independent efforts and the new versions are quite faithful to the originals, sounding only a bit more polished with the occasional sonic nuance or modified structural progression. It also provides a wide array of sounds, preying on both the low and high ends of the aural spectrum to guarantee the listener will pick up on more and more each time they listen. Indeed the band have honed their craft and they are in fine form here, but on the other hand, the songs can also tend to lack individuality when stacked up against each other. Its only with tracks like "Online Virus" and "Riders Of The Silence", the latter of which ironically comes from one of their first recordings, that they manage to truly capture the listeners attention with an almost dark allure. Unfortunately though, the wealth of material here lacks the aforementioned aesthetic and is instead a playful hybrid of hip hop and rock, consisting of the usual suburban hijinks and though it is done well, it has also pretty much been done before. Still, though they aren't entirely bringing anything that is ground breaking or innovative to the table, they are bringing something that is done with talent and as such its hard to fault them for it. Dislocated Styles are pretty much the wilder younger brothers of their peers and while their proverbial siblings went on to immerse themselves a little too heavily in cannabis culture or dabble in different cultures, they instead chose to sit around and watch porn, get drunk and high and go out and cause some havoc in the streets. Definitely not an album that is easy to pin down, "Pin The Tail On The Honkey" is a great reminder of what crossover music was, back when it was a healthy and burgeoning new genre. It's not contrived, corporate or full of needless rock posturing; its just honest music with feel good rhymes layered over catchy beats with some slick guitar work that overall, may have just what it takes to sneak up and prick you in the ass if you aren't looking, honkey or not.