Lion Babe - Begin: Not an instant classic, but the potential is palpable

Performance artist Jillian Hervey (who has the best hair - a proper mane - think Whitney Huston circa I Wanna Dance With Somebody) and musician Lucas Goodman, aka Lion Babe, have been working together since 2012 and so far have collaborated with Pharrell Williams, Disclosure and Childish Gambino.
Lion Babe - BeginLion Babe - Begin
Lion Babe - Begin

This New York duo’s experimental debut record, Begin, thrums with soul but has a jangly, experimental R&B edge to it.

Stressed OUT! slurs from disco vibes into sharp minimalist vocals, while Impossible clatters and skips, and Satisfy My Love combines deep, sultry lyrics with hip and spine rolling beats.

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Single Where Do We Go sounds like a dance off cut from the early 2000s (not in a good way), but the dreamy, hypnotic Jungle Lady and the rumbling, clap-strewn Treat Me Like Fire are certainly magnetic.

Begin is not an instant classic, but the potential is palpable.

You’ve got to start somewhere after all.