Surreal in Bloomington, MN

After collaborating with the likes of
Chaka Khan
, spoken word artist
Ursula Rucker
, and Italian soul singer
Mario Biondi
on 2010's
Transatlantic RPM
, British acid jazz pioneers
Incognito
hand over the vocal reins to a younger crowd for their 15th studio album,
Surreal
. It's an inspired move showing that, 30 years on from their debut album, bandleader
Jean-Paul "Bluey" Maunick
still has his finger on the pulse. While longtime singers
Maysa
and
Vanessa Haynes
remain a vital part of the setup, the former kicking off proceedings in style with the bass-driven funk of "The Less You Know," the latter channeling the divas of the Studio 54 era on a cover of
Queen Yahna
's '70s cult disco classic "Ain't It Time," it's the new recruits who steal the show. German-born vocalist
Mo Brandis
displays a maturity and soulfulness far beyond his 26 years on the
John Legend-esque
lead single "Goodbye to Yesterday" and the summery jazz of "Don't Wanna Know," while Ronnie Scott's regular
Natalie Williams
justifies the
Erykah Badu
/
Jill Scott
comparisons on the gorgeously slinky chillout of "Restless as We Are" and the dreamy bossa nova of "The Stars from Here." If they can hang on to this highly talented lineup, then
's future appears to be in very safe hands indeed. ~ Jon O'Brien