We're starting off 2022 with an album from this past October, one I intentionally didn't include in my "enjoyed but didn't send out" in 2021 list last week, but nothing says "Happy New Year!" like a big ass tuba, am I right? Well, no, I don't think anyone has ever said that, but c'est la vie. Or literally not.
Anyway, you may or may not know the name Theon Cross, but the sounds of his brass have been popping up in many places in recent years, most notably as a member of Sons of Kemet, but also backing Jon Batiste and Emeli Sandé, as well as Makaya McCraven and Little Simz, two artists previously featured in Album Notes.
Cross' sophomore effort is rooted in the Londoner's jazz instincts, but the electronic, dancehall, and hip hop leanings create a canvas that's so far removed from expectations of the tuba as to render the instrument imperceptible at times. All of which is to say Intra-I is an eclectically cohesive wonder.
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