Tuxedo was one of my favorite surprises to come out of 2015. Iโve always been a fan of Jake Oneโs work and although I didnโt know all that much about Mayer Hawthorne, I generally liked the little music I did hear of his. So when I saw they were teaming up I was curious to hear what that might sound like. Needless to say, what I heard was a pleasant surprise and really a breath of fresh air. It was even more of a surprise to see them returning for a second go around withย Tuxedo II.ย But hey Iโm not complaining, Iโll take all the grooves I can get.
They were almost ahead of their time their first go around because before them I canโt remember any modern artists really embracing funk and disco like they had. Ever since then however, funk has started regaining more and more of itโs mainstream appeal. Iโve been getting more and more into funk over the years and have a real appreciation for the genre now, so I couldnโt be happier with this trend. While more artists are embracing the funk, thereโs probably nobody better at it than Tuxedo. Theyโre a real throwback to those disco golden days and they pull it off without sounding like a simple rehash, but instead something new and original. I dare you to listen to โ2nd Time Aroundโ, โTake A Pictureโ, and โBack In Townโ and not want to get up and dance. Jake One really did his thing on this one and somehow improved on the first albumโs in almost every way. The grooves are heavy, the instrumentation noticeably sharp and crisp, yet still adequately funky, and those little pops of synths throughout really set things off.
โYou know me very well
It ainโt too hard to tell
Weโve got that magic formula so rare
You keep me feeling strong
You hold me all night long
And when you need me
Baby Iโll thereโ
Just like the first go around, Mayer Hawthorne handles 99% of the vocals on the project and he sounds as good as ever. His voice is really strong, yet smooth, and really melds with the production. I honestly think he sounds better on this kind of music than he does on his own modern stuff. Lyrically he doesnโt reinvent the wheel and really sticks to the simpler themes youโd hear from the music of the era. If this was any other genre that could be a shortcoming but itโs exactly what I want to hear from my funk music.ย Tuxedoย II makes me want to just throw the record on and groove out from front to back and thatโs the sign of a very good funk album indeed. Hereโs to hoping they come back around for a third time.
Have you heardย Tuxedo II? Whatโd you think about it? Do you think they improved on the formula even more this go around like I did? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to leave your own ratings and reactions for the album.
