Hear Home and you immediately hear why Michel Franti disposed of Disposable Heroes and created Spearhead. Where the Heroes' arty beatscapes were mechanical and heavily sampled, Franti's new joint is all natural: a "real" band, soulful backing divas, melodies, loose and funky beats. The title track's just Franti with acoustic guitar, singing quietly. Vernon Reid adds a cruel solo to "Caught Without an Umbrella"; "Love Is da Shit" revives Go-Go. And whether he's anxiously awaiting the results of an AIDS test, debating if he should place change in a homeless man's cup, or speaking to folks caught between ideologies on the left and right, Franti's poetry/slam rhymes are surely among hip hop's brightest science.