Following up on a masterpiece can be tricky business. It's best if you take a breather and come up with a small "unofficial follow up" project to release a bit of pressure. Or as I like to call it: The Beck Theorem. Marvin Gaye had the 'Trouble Man' soundtrack to occupy his time between What's Goin' On and Let's Get It On whilst Ryan Adams likes to spend every waking second making demo albums.

2001's Stay Human was a landmark album for Michael Franti. So before he and his collective known as Spearhead unleash Everybody Deserves Music in a few months time, we are given an absolute treat in Songs From The Front Porch.

An eclectic mix of old and new songs in laid back acoustic format, Front Porch is everything Lauryn Hill's latest album should've been, good. It also allows Franti to delve a little more into blues, jazz and reggae than ever before without putting off any of his legion of fans.

'Yes I Will' is a life affirming track that opens the set, complete with handclaps and a killer beat courtesy of beatbox extrordinaire RadioActive. The song is sure to be a staple of campfire singalongs for the next few years. Franti's jazz leanings come to the fore on a few tracks, most notably on the late night groove of 'Firefly' and the Latino soaked 'Love Invincible'.

Other new songs, 'Closer To The Sky' and 'Anybody Seen My Mind' sees Franti in a more soulful mood with the latter track even sounding a little like Andrew Roachford. Stay Human's 'Sometimes' suprisingly sounds better stripped back, allowing Franti's positive lyrics to come to the fore. The same treatment is given to 'Stay Human' and the brilliant sermon of 'Oh My God'.

Anyone expecting a repeat of his recent acoustic tour may come away disappointed. On a single CD there is no room for sixteen minute extended jams or RadioActive's rendition of Cookie Monster's classic 'C is For Cookie'. However in an exercise in how an acoustic collection should sound, you won't get much better. Hopefully Miss Hill is taking notes.