Continuity is a big thing with Texas. Ever since they landed upon a stylish retro-groove on 1997's White on Blonde -- a sound that wasn't too nostalgic and wasn't too hip -- they've stayed in a blue-eyed soul vein, making slight variations to suit the time but never straying from the formula that brought them fame. Hi, the group's tenth album, underscores this fact both through its sound and the marquee cameo from the Wu-Tang Clan, the same hip-hop group who lent this Scottish pop group some credibility back in 1998 when they appeared on a remix of "Say What You Want." Here, the title track is built around the Wu-Tang verses, a move that fits squarely within Texas' signature of repurposing the past for the present without indulging in vintage fetishism. Most of Hi follows their elegant, tuneful blend of Motown/Tamla bounce and soft rock hooks, which makes the slight variations stand out. "Moonstar" has a country-rock air in its nearly spoken word verse not to mention its harmonica break, "Look What You've Done" is given a sleek New Wave gloss, and "Sound of My Voice" bops along on a rhythm reminiscent of the Strokes' "Last Night." These mild departures are highlights, but Texas deliver their signature pop-soul with precision and style on the rest of Hi, offering the familiar while never quite sounding stiff. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine