Mr. Foolish

Kindred spirits Airbird (Joel Ford) and Napolian (Ian Evans), both alumni of Daniel Lopatin's Software label, first combined forces in 2013, melding their abstract hip-hop and neon electro-pop sensibilities to create complex, retro-futuristic postmodern dance music. Their first single was "In the Zone," a Com Truise-like chillwave cut with Mtume-esque slap bass and vocals by Erika Spring that felt like ice cubes in a cocktail on a blazing summer day spent by the pool. Its B-side was "Special," which diced sentimental vocal samples over a filtered house beat in a manner similar to Jerome LOL and Samo Sound Boy's DJ Dodger Stadium project. Airbird & Napolian's debut collaborative album Mr. Foolish continues mining that same type of nostalgic yet future-hungry mindset, balancing tape-damaged synth funk with propulsive, maximalist art-dance anthems. The album starts out slow, amorphous, and slippery, with "American House" nearly falling off the reel a few times. Once the album finds the dancefloor, it gleefully darts from one idea to the next, twisting samples and touching on a multitude of influences. Following the aforementioned "Special," "Only You" begins with mindbending sample editing, warping snatches of '80s R&B (think the Whispers or Midnight Star) into sparkling yet slightly ominous house, with a vaguely John Carpenter-inspired synth melody and Ford's roboticized falsetto vocals. The album's final three tracks find the duo blowing up their sound as much as possible, with muscular guitar riffs and festival-ready beats. "Go to the Sun" starts out as a surprising diversion into crunchy, radio-friendly rock before morphing into big-room EDM. Closing odyssey "Con's" starts out as thumping acid techno before blowing apart into a lengthy, time-shredded conclusion. The album seems messy and over-ecstatic, unable to control its ever-changing, conflicting emotions, almost to the point of feeling like its creators are going through puberty again. Nevertheless, or possibly because of its scattershot nature, Mr. Foolish is a thrilling, slightly goofy ride.