Lone - Lemurian

Judging by the cover, probably the last thing you would expect this album to be is a bunch of blunted rap beats, but that's exactly what it is. Building on the success of dudes like Flying Lotus - who finally made hip-hop instrumentals obtuse enough that hipsters could feel comfortable bragging about liking them - Lone drops a debut full of shiny, kaleidoscopic, 80's-inspired jams that sound exactly like Madlib remixing Boards of Canada. Every track is so weirdly evocative - track names like "Sea Spray" and "Lens Flare Lagoon" capture the vibe perfectly - that you feel like you're part of some infinitely looping Baywatch episode. True, as a standalone album it does get a bit repetitive, but perfect when I'm jamming at work and need a bit of sunshine in my life. Merry 2009 everybody...

Lone - Lemurian