Laika

The long-awaited fourth album from Laika is quite possibly their laziest effort to date. There’s always been a certain insouciant charm to Margaret Fielder’s sultry vocals, but this time it sounds as if she’s indulged in too much ether. The result is a hazy journey through ten tracks that are virtually indistinguishable from one another. The hushed, plaintive vocals and funky, nu-jazz drumming coalesce into a giant aural milkshake forever on the verge of turning sour. I suppose Kelis was right after all.