Jai Nitai Lotus

After spending much of the year getting his musical output back up to speed following a short hiatus, Montreal producer/MC Jai Nitai Lotus returns as the true master of his domain with his latest self-produced and recorded opus, Something You Feel. Serving up a compelling mix of rugged yet insightful lyricism and sonically abrasive, soul-touched musical backdrops, Jai earns points for his left-of-centre approach to his song craft, though not all his attempts necessarily hit the mark. The rapper's slightly sluggish lyrical pace is well-suited to the slow march of hymn-like opener "Mingus Clap," while cuts like the stark and gritty "Bailout" and spiritual, Georgia Anne Muldrow-featuring "Hard Times and Bless" offer further competent examples of the breadth of Jai's skills both on and off the mic. However, a somewhat muddled midsection featuring a verbally sloppy "Simbreaker" and the tinny, sort-of-sung, rock-mimicking "Love Won't Be," while commendable as ideas, stumble a bit in execution and make for an uneven listen.