Neither as gruesome nor as amusing as John Herndon's play-on-the-title cover illustration implies, Sacrifices offers a pared-down twist on the layered complexity for which Guillermo Herren's productions are known. Curtailment might have been more descriptive, if less striking, as an album title. Enough space is left in these fluttering, fractured hip-hop constructions to let in several shafts of light, instead of the one or two Herren has typically allowed. Although the tracks are comparatively easy to absorb, they're hardly minimalist or strictly background material. Repeated plays expose numerous nuances, while highlights "Without Anyone," "Basinkitarian," and "The World Is Bigger" emit some of the producer's prettiest melodies. Vocal collaborations are also limited, only a solitary smudged and dazed ballad featuring left-of-center R&B artist James Tillman. This is Herren's first release for Lex, originally a subsidiary of Warp, his old label home. ~ Andy Kellman