Avalanche
Producer-musician Robin Hannibal is having a killer year, in large part due to his great taste in singers. The follow-up to Rhye (his collaboration with gender-bending vocalist Mike Milosh) is the second album of new material from the project with his Danish homegirl Coco Maja Hastrup Karshøj, a.k.a. Coco O. An understated soul-pop diva whose sweetness belies her stone funkiness, she’s already charmed hip-hop’s new guard, including Jay-Z (who featured Coco on the Gatsby soundtrack) and Kendrick Lamar, who guests on the sultry, brass-plated “Better Off.” One listen to “Hey Love” – a giddy single that splits the difference between Adele and Amy Winehouse – proves Coco is far more than a hook queen. But on more hushed tracks like “Befriend,” draped in viola and pedal steel; “Sea Salt,” which conjures a Minnie Riperton slow jam; and the ecstatically multitracked title cut, she’s a balladeer for baby-makers, bong-suckers and anyone who could benefit from a delicious groove.