It's Ok B U CD

Having recently unfurled one synth-laden future jazz-funk classic (John Carroll Kirby's superb Blowout), Stones Throw delivers another fabulous album informed by the intersection between jazz, funk and synth sounds. Of course, Kiefer Shackleford's work has always been far more informed by hip-hop than Kirby's, and that remains a key point of difference on It's OK B U. While Shackleford loves showcasing his own piano and synth work (and it's those elements that frequently catch the ear), the accompanying beats - a mixture of head-nodding, Guru and Dilla style grooves, Flying Lotus style experiments, chopped-up breaks, wayward Dam Funk style affairs and slipped jazz rhythms - are equally as potent.