GENA – The Pleasure Is Yours

When her first DIY EPs sent ripples through Bandcamp, Liv.e swiftly established her unique strain of neo-soul. On ‘The Pleasure Is Yours — a joint-project with seasoned Detroit drummer and producer Karriem Riggins — the LA-based artist’s loose and intuitive flow glides over some of the most incisive productions she’s voiced to date. Her signature lopsided hooks are peppered throughout the album, firmly placing us in the Liv.e sound world, but Riggins’ rhythmic touch (which has graced the work of everyone from Erykah Badu to, er, Paul McCartney) brings a broader scope to the musicality across the album. Irreverent experimentation rubs up against aching beauty, cheeky swagger sits alongside delicate vulnerability, in the music and the vocals alike. This album is totally at ease with its own curious creativity — a honey-coated dream from start to finish.