Mayer Hawthorne
and
Jake One
keep the throwback post-disco party going with their fourth album as
Tuxedo
. They could have titled it The New Tuxedo IV U, but a
Zapp
connection is nonetheless made with legendary West Coast producer
Battlecat
returning to add melodic talkbox in loving tribute to
Roger Troutman
. Joined by a mostly familiar cast of fellow instrumentalists and background singers -- including
Ryan Siegel
,
Sam Wish
, and
Gavin Turek
--
Hawthorne
Jake
turn in another set of slick dancefloor funk tracks with equally high emphasis on whomping basslines and beaming hooks, as always strictly in service of a good time. As on the previous three
albums, there's nothing novel. It's the sound of musically adept scholars creatively reconstituting club-oriented R&B circa 1979-1983 -- before the genre's rhythms got rigid and overtly mechanical -- and having an evident blast as they thread the needle to evade claims of copyright infringement. The nods are most obvious in "Back 4 More" and "Good Time 4 Ever," coincidentally two of the highlights.
also go straight to the source, heard on "4 Sure," which is elevated by the unmistakable spirit-lifting piano and backing vocals of boogie king
Leroy Burgess
. The cowbell and
Patrick Adams
-style synthesizer wriggles add extra touches of authenticity. A fair portion of the songs go in one ear and out the other, but they're all durable, welcoming, and joyous. ~ Andy Kellman