Look Daggers

Suffer In Style

[3/5]

You might expect a hip-hop outfit under the musical direction of the always-challenging Mars Volta keyboardist Ikey Owens to deliver an album of bloated experimentation. And while there are plenty of jazzy excursions on Suffer In Style, like the herky-jerky keyboard brass bounce of "That Look," the surprise is the disc’s engaging, pop-forward approach to a broad spectrum of genres. Exciting too is the mild-mannered but verbally dexterous, tuneful flow of emcee 2Mex, of Los Angeles rap group Visionaries. Even more refreshing is the band’s decision to record the entire album with live instrumentation. It’s the type of organic approach that bleeds through on "Call U Later," with its summer-in-the-city vibe and chanted (and enchanting) soul chorus. (UP ABOVE) Luke O’Neil