+1: Jus Now, Alone EP (Feel Up)
This one doesn’t qualify as a full-length, but the latest release from Jus Now — Trinidad’s LAZABEAM and England’s INTERFACE — deserves at least an honorebel mention. The trans-Atlantic production combo dropped more of their signature orchestral soca bangers on this four-song EP, as they continue to broaden the scope of Carnival music with new flavors and directions. Our favorite track was “Alone,” featuring up-and-coming Trinidadian vocalist Chalmer John, and a rhythm which seamlessly blends soca, Afrobeats and dancehall, and maybe a touch of Latin jazz and hip-hop. Yes, if that sounds like a paean to the Beatnuts’ “Watch Out Now” (by way of their sample of Enoch Light’s “Hijack”), that’s because it is. We’re definitely looking forward to their six-song Way Up EP, now due in February. Listen to the first single, “Dun D Place” featuring Stylo G, on our Now Things playlist on Apple Music.