Albums
July: 18 albums you need to hear this month
Laurel Halo, J Hus, Robert Hood and more
Rodriguez Jr 'Baobab' (Mobilee Records)
Olivier Mateu returns to Mobilee Records under his Rodriguez Jr alias, offering an eclectic, wide-ranging journey of evocative and emotive house. Written while travelling and influenced by his musical roots growing up in the south of France mastering the piano, ‘Baobab’ begins with ‘An Evidence Of Time’s intricate heartbeat, before Paris-based singer Liset Alea makes her first of several appearances. The Cuban-American’s soft vocal links different phases: on ‘Heal Me’ she touches on the complexities of being human, before showcasing vulnerability on the dream-like ‘Waste Tomorrow’. Enchanting highlight ‘Monticello’ ramps up the intensity, building into ‘Ellipsism’ and the anthemic closer ‘Tomorrow Never Comes’. Ben Jolley
7/10
