Wu-Tang Clan, ''8 Diagrams'' (Universal) The first Wu-Tang album since Ol' Dirty Bastard's death feels like a reluctant reunion.

There's a striking disconnect between the rappers and the off-kilter beats that RZA has concocted here. It's as if the New York group's longtime spiritual leader made a solo instrumental album - and not a bad one - then invited his old pals to try their best to rhyme on it.

Ghostface seems to want to go at about twice the speed of the beat on ''The Heart Gently Weeps'' (which, yes indeed, jacks the Beatles). And U-God doesn't come close to finding the weird groove of ''Get Them Out Ya Way Pa.'' Which is a shame, because East Coast hip-hop fans can't help but feel happy nostalgia upon hearing these familiar voices one after another again, particularly on fast-moving no-hook tracks like ''Windmill.''

The hard-hitting ''Rushing Elephants'' also fits that description, but things just feel stale when GZA winkingly again rhymes ''hobby'' with ''lobby.'' Raekwon dubs the group ''slapsmiths of the rap game,'' and the strength of wordplay here still sometimes evokes their game-changing first album, 1993's ''Enter the Wu-Tang.''

But the Wu have always lived in their own universe - a unique space full of chess, kung-fu, crime and philosophy. So it's painful to hear RZA, who has dabbled recently in movie scores and acting, name drop ''Bruce Almighty'' and ''Spidey.'' Even more depressing is the strange ''Red Riding Hood''-inspired misstep ''Wolves,'' with George Clinton on an inane hook. And putting the words ''she's my No. 1 gangsta chick'' on a Wu-Tang album? Unforgivable.