KAYTRANADA – Timeless
At its best, KAYTRANADA's new album Timeless is body music that doesn’t lose track of the present in search of something lasting
Timeless is a funny title, even if it fits. Haitian-Canadian producer KAYTRANADA shaped the sound of the late 2010s with his signature drums and grooves. Every party or barbeque could be soundtracked by his kick buzzing through a Bluetooth speaker. If anything, it’s a time capsule. Still, Timeless offers another laidback KAYTRANADA party, with an impressive list of guests and a mammoth 21 tracks. Four years after Bubba, his last solo record, there’s pressure to satisfy.
Largely, it does – especially when there’s a spark with his songwriting partners. Rochelle Jordan brings heat to her pair of dancefloor-ready offerings. Still, with Charlotte Day Wilson, balances polish and raw performance. KAYTRANADA gets fantastic performances out of Anderson .Paak and Childish Gambino, who are given extravagant tracks to work with. Other moments are stilted. Call U Up with brother Lou Phelps never gets free of its clunky piano vamp and unconvincing bars. Still, plenty of hits.
At its best, that ‘timeless’ tag works. Nods to house, disco, and hip-hop retain the sweaty human touch of older party songs – think organic instruments, crackling samples and unquantized beats. It’s body music that doesn’t lose track of the present in search of something lasting.
Listen to: Spit It Out, Still, Do 2 Me