Tuxedo – the duo of Jake One and sublime soul singer and musician Mayer Hawthorne return. In this project, the pair mine and create past soul creations, using compatible gear but strangely sounding now rather than then. Labelling themselves on the CD sticker as ‘ Five-time Grammy Losers’, these cats are anything but losers. Jake One has an ear for irresistible beats and Mayer is likely the coolest guitar-slinger and rock-soul singer on the scene. He could be better at posting up the reviews we give him…BUT I wouldn’t change anything else ! His last own album was a cracker and he also lit up a cut on the last record from Kraak & Smaak.

F** With The Tux kicks the record off a classic Isleys/George Clinton groove with squeaky synth squiggles and solid bass. The guests here are Gavin Turek, Kokane and Snoop Dogg. It goes nowhere but you can dance to it ; 2nd Time Around has that boomy D-Train sound and a catchy vocal and chorale Mayer really in the swing of it all. Beats you cannot resist, even if like your scribe, you have no dance skills. Horns are credited to Will Sessions, Detroit. It sounds like it’s thirty years old but recorded this morning! That seems to be the notion behind Tuxedo. Hawthorne’s damped guitar flicks sit well in the sound as the synth bass rolls on.

Take A Picture has sonic juices dripping from it and an almost Kool tread, full-blooded ensemble singing icing the cake, falsetto passages float in and out and synth runs spring up to sing and disappear. The backbeat is never lost and the handclaps keep with it ; a heavy beat introduces Rotational and the track sounds so very Funkadelic it reminds me of the many times I saw them – even the first ever show here at The Greyhound in Croydon with the six-string wizard Eddie Hazel. Happy times…

Shine slows the pace and uses the synth bass depth to roll the tempo. Evokes the SOLAR Records label era, out of Los Angeles. A cool male-female duet, this one. Scooter’s Groove has Clifton Scooter Maxie in the thick of things and possibly on the keys solo’ing. Swings like crazy but watch that bad language, lads…

U Like It uses late-80s bass synth and higher-register twirls and delay to spin up another groove ; Back In Town takes punchy horns over keys to create a faster but still melodic tune. This one wouldn’t be out-of-place on a Mayer Hawthorne record, it’s maybe the best actual song here. Special brings more of that damped funk guitar chording Mayer throws out with aplomb, another pronounced backbeat-and-handclaps workout for your feet. Livin’ 4 Your Lovin’ ups the pace with a touch of Philly piano and guitar flicks, 3-D’d by synth swoops. July is more end-of-the night slow jam in flavour feel but the ensemble sound is no less rich.

This entire record could have been made in 1983 and has all the funk ingredients available at that time. The songs are in no way enduring works of genius but the record has a consistent groove and soul warmth that points to just one thing : deep knowledge of and undying love of the sounds of the era. If that appeals, just wave your contactless card and enjoy…..

Pete Sargeant