Jhené Aiko

Jhené Aiko isn't a powerful singer, but she makes up for it with charisma and confidence. Her Sail Out EP is intended to keep people sated until her long awaited full-length (tentatively titled Souled Out) arrives sometime next year. Given the time it took for this seven-track project to come out, expect a long wait. For her short career, Aiko has been cool to coast on her airy vocal delivery and Sail Out finds her without reasons to change it up. Equal parts Ciara and Aaliyah, Aiko breezes through minimalist R&B tracks like the catchy "Bed Peace" (featuring Childish Gambino) and the groovy "Stay Ready" (featuring Kendrick Lamar). The risk of keeping things breezy is that tracks can often lack weight: "WTH" and "The Worst" blow through headphones like smoke, disappearing into the ether after having the intended trance effect. Aiko remains an intriguing artist. But if Sail Out is the appetizer for the upcoming LP release, one hopes the main course doesn't arrive rushed.