Recloose

Detroit producer Matt Chicoine (aka Recloose) puts his love of layered synths on full display with his fourth long-player, Perfect Timing, a quirky affair that looks to strike a balance between traditional electronic funk and healthy experimentation. Soulful turns like the mellowed "Catch A Leaf" and "Deeper Waters," with its lazy afternoon groove, succeed via Chicoine's noted restraint, a point lacking in the more mixed results of his funkier creations. Channelling '80s old school funk, the high-tuned Recloose synths are set to a nostalgic, Morris Day-era squeal beneath the horn-led "The Sanctuary" and the hyper-paced "Electronic Funk," with both tracks further charged by singer Tyna's stylized vocal flair. Other cuts, however, like emotive slow burner "Daydreamer," suffer some from the producer's decision to add a few too many unnecessary sonic elements to the mix (like cheesy swelling sound effects) and many of Chicoine's synth melodies are a little too chipper to be truly funky. Of course, this is all just nitpicking, as Perfect Timing definitely has some contributions to make to a solid club set.