Letherette - Last Night On The Planet (2016) FLAC

Letherette made no secret of their fondness for incorporating different styles into their music on their self-titled debut, a tradition Richard Roberts and Andy Harber continue on Last Night on the Planet. But where Letherette's eclecticism felt like a warmly literate pastiche, on this album the duo gets close to dabbling. Roberts and Harber have updated their palette since their first album, adding more hip-hop and downtempo elements to their disco, house, and synth pop foundations. While tracks like the Rejjie Snow collaboration "Momma," the '80s R&B homage "Shanel," and the pretty breather "Bad Sign" (which features Jed & Lucia) are all convincing and engaging in the moment, Letherette's style-hopping feels less organic and connected on Last Night on the Planet than it did on their debut. Elsewhere, tracks like "Dog Brush" and "Frugaloo" are intricately crafted, but not especially distinctive. As Last Night on the Planet unfolds, things get more interesting: on "Soulette," Harber and Roberts transform finely minced samples into something ominous and kinetic, while "Rubu" distills the ever-so-slightly dreamy vibe of their debut into a sweetly sparkling highlight. Similarly, the hazy coda that punctuates Pyramid Vritra's cameo on the title track feels more quintessentially Letherette than most of the album. It's this lack of an overall aesthetic that makes Last Night on the Planet feel more like a compilation of singles than a full-fledged album; while the duo's skills are still evident, unfortunately the results aren't as rewarding as before. -- Heather Phares