Rae Road in Bloomington, MN

Best known for his part in the surname-studded
hip-hop
duo with
Steve Christian
,
Mark Rae
walks alone on this, his much vaunted and legendarily delayed debut solo album. Two years in the making and the resultant body of work is perhaps surprisingly more sulphuric
soul
than sleepwalking beats, twisting through a series of upbeat themes. From the opening mischievousness of the
Scruff-esque
"Lobster,"
the album quickly turns to the poppy
R&B
of
"Lavish"
before flipping a head-nodder and ducking into the strung-out shop doorway of
"Skio."
This mix-and-match approach works well, echoing his selection for the
Ordered From the Catalogue
compilation, deriving genuine pleasure from offering something for everyone, whether it's the
Kinobe
chill of
"Bamburgh Dunes,"
the uptown
ragga
of the
Joseph Cotton
-lyriced
"Candystripe,"
or the closing sweet
Spikey Tee
-- it's all loaded with an infectious enthusiasm which amounts to a grand album indeed. ~ Kingsley Marshall