THEESatisfaction – awE naturalE

As only the second hip-hop act to be signed to Sub Pop (the other being Shabazz Palaces, with whom THEESatisfaction have worked extensively), this Seattle-based female duo sculpt their narratives of urban life from a position that is, in several senses, on the margins. Their approach, however, feels understated, assertive yet non-confrontational; these self-styled “queens of the stoned age” confidently occupy a distinctive position in the landscape of urban music through a careful assimilation of influences including soul, jazz and Afro-futurism.

It’s a sonic combination that recalls Erykah Badu’s New Amerykah LPs, and while awE naturalE feels somewhat slighter than those records – clocking in at just half an hour, and lacking the political tensions of Badu’s lyrics – it’s nonetheless an impressively cohesive, sharp album. Highpoints like Existinct update the jazzy piano samples of early hip-hop with a rich, soulful lyrical style; at such points, THEESatisfaction’s music evokes the simplicity and allure of the genre’s playful, cut-and-paste origins.