Voyager

After decades crafting some of England's biggest post-Y2K releases, Grammy-winning musician Paul Epworth made his official solo debut in 2020 with the lush interstellar journey Voyager. Unlike his work with pop and alternative acts like Adele, Florence + the Machine, Coldplay, and Bloc Party, the electronic-based LP finds Epworth drifting through space with an inspired crew of guests from the worlds of hip-hop and R&B. This cross-genre hybrid finds inspiration in '70s soul and funk, as well as in the synth-scapes of Jean-Michel Jarre and Wendy Carlos, which results in a wondrous dose of future nostalgia that sounds like Gorillaz tackling Daft Punk's Random Access Memories or Pharrell Williams given free rein on Calvin Harris' Funk Wav Bounces. Imaginative and atmospheric, Voyager is best experienced in a single go, a headphone-friendly trip that expands the mind and gets the head nodding. Outside of the jazzy exploration of the instrumental title track, the album mostly relies on its guest stars, who shine with this fresh electronic material that falls outside of their usual wheelhouses. Vince Staples delivers a typically engaging verse on the uplifting opener "Mars & Venus," while Ty Dolla $ign lends a subtle and haunting touch to the hypnotic "Cosmos," which sounds like a Frank Ocean/Travis Scott collaboration in the best way imaginable. Lyrical emcee Kool Keith twists and turns through the intergalactic "Distant Planets," a gospel-backed cut that rides a steady beat along a distorted synth line that could be Epworth's interpretation of Martian G-funk. Meanwhile, vocalists Bibi Bourelly and Lianne La Havas elevate their respective cuts, balancing the wealth of bars with sung vocals. While these well-known names give Voyager immediate street cred, the album MVPs are actually rising rapper Ishmael and singer Elle Yaya, who both make multiple contributions across the effort and steal the show on "Mars & Venus" and "Binaural Trip." Elsewhere, Epworth allows them to fully take the spotlight on the robust "Hyperspace," the boom-bap funk of "Space Inc.," and the trippy "Where Do We Come From?" While it might seem like there's a little too much going on here, the top-notch production, artistic collaboration, and devotion to the space-age vibe results in a satisfying and unexpected gem.