With their debut LP, Retrospect unites classic jazz with contemporary indie. Emerging from the city of Oxnard, California, (also home to legendary hip-hop producer Madlib), Retrospect maintains a lineage of talented acts from the city. With velvety keyboards, dusty drums, and timeless vocals, the band has an engaging and tasteful sonic palette. This band’s appeal is clear to see; If you like soulful music, then Retrospect is worth a listen.
The record begins with “Deep Seated”, a dusty groove filled with rolling basslines and heart-wrenching vocals. This is followed up by a series of consistent quality songs, including a keyboard synth driven slow jam, “Purple Night”. Soon after, “Without You” flourishes into one of the most heartfelt moments on the record. Perhaps the strongest part of the album is the gorgeous vocals and effortless instrumentation on “It’s Got to Be You”. Soon after, “Within This Love”, the group delivers yet another quality track, with equal if not exceeding quality to that of the rest of the record. The album is wrapped up by “Moon Ride”, another synth-driven jam, this time featuring the addition of luxurious background vocals.
Throughout this LP, the group bring quality and consistency. Mauri and company deliver grooving drums, smooth synths, and powerful vocals on each track. The gorgeous lyrics, textures, and sounds of this record grow more engaging with each listen. At such a high level of consistency with their first record, Retrospect has a promising future ahead.
