Taylor McFerrin – Early Riser

Taylor McFerrin, eldest son of soul legend Bobby McFerrin, has signed to Brainfeeder, and it's an excellent fit; more to do with his carefully slack beat-work than his family pedigree. On Early Riser, he takes a stab at reinventing classic 60s/70s soul for the LA beat scene and beyond, downplaying the genre's heart-on-sleeve emoting, and emphasising its more psychedelic sonic features. The results are breathtaking.

The drifting keys, guitar and echoing vocals of Postpartum lead into the stripped instrumental Degrees of Light, in its own way a quintissential Brainfeeder beat. The Antidote, featuring Nai Palm, is worthy of early Jill Scott, with her vocals breaking into tightly-laced raps. McFerrin repeats the trick on the gorgeous Decision, featuring Emily King. Stepps, another instrumental, melds pitch-bent, FX-laden synths with a stuttering electronic beats. Jazz vibes infiltrate Already There (with Thundercat), and Invisible/Visible, which features his father. A gorgeous record, likely to be seen as a touchstone in years to come. [Bram E. Gieben]