First impressions can be unforgiving. Take for instance the two-year-old debut of Shane Ries, a.k.a. Hymn Jim. It was an exercise in retro frivolity and did little to encourage any hope for a musical future. Hoping for a new start (or perhaps just to commemorate a new musical direction), Ries has returned as Dr. Onionskin to offer Split Pea Soup. Unlike Ries' jumbled mess of a debut, Split Pea Soup is a creative blend of acid jazz and straight-up hip-hop with a clearly-defined direction. Ries is responsible for the majority of the playing with help from notables Aaron Delacruz on keyboards and Patrick Caro on bass. The samples and live music are intertwined so well that it's often hard to differentiate between the two. From the loungey, George Benson-influenced guitars of "Shady Day" and the disco-flavored "Get Into It," to the spacy, Earth Wind & Fire-branded "Odyssey 5," Split Pea Soup is the Christian market's most successful attempt at youth-oriented modern jazz to date. Kudos to Ries for proving us all wrong.