McKinley Dixon - Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?!

Sometimes, it’s perfectly fine to judge a book by its cover. Or its title: ‘Beloved! Paradise! Jazz?!’ takes its name from a trilogy of novels by American author Toni Morrison. And not only does McKinley Dixon’s lyrical dexterity and his ability to paint pictures with words make the record one arguably worthy of such literary pedigree, but the words themselves go some way to show what he’s included on it, juxtaposing compellingly-delivered tales of contemporary life with lusciously-arranged jazz instrumentation, as warm, inviting and smooth as his stories occasionally turn unforgiving. The hook of ‘Run, Run, Run’ sounds so instantly classic as if having been rediscovered via a vinyl deep-dive while the hint of drum’n’bass to its skittish beat shows that while taking cues from the past, it’s not in thrall to it. The dream-like brass that introduces ‘Tyler, Forever’ is bookended by the swooping strings of ‘The Story So Far - Interlude’, as cinematic themselves as the album is as a whole. It’s all gorgeously rich in both sound and delivery.