Children of Zeus might be a relatively new group, but they are a duo of artists that have been making music for quite some time. About twenty years ago, both Konny Kon and Tyler Daley came on the Manchester music scene. Daley was working as a producer, songwriter, and vocalist under the moniker of Hoodman. Kon was emceeing, beatmaking, and deejaying for crews such as Microdesiacs. Fast forward several years, and the two started working together under the name of Children of Zeus, developing their own sound as a duo. However, up until this point, all we’ve gotten out of the them is a handful of singles and an EP compiled of previously unreleased material. Now, the long journey to this point in their careers is finally over as they present their first full-length album, Travel Light.

The first thing that will hit you about this album is how smooth it is. Children of Zeus are bringing their own take to R&B and hip hop, and they are own that Quiet Storm life for the entirety of the album. That doesn’t necessarily mean that every single song is romantic, but it does mean that most of the album features some great downtempo production with warm bass lines. So yes, there are plenty of love songs amongst Travel Light, but we also get songs like “Hoodman2Manhood,” “Hard Work,” and “Daddy’s Car,” that talk about the process of growing older and more mature, trying to make it as a professional musician, and where they came from. Both artists wear multiple hats throughout the album, contributing to the vocals and production, which just further highlights the great chemistry these two have working together, and it really helps solidify the overall sound of the album, which is pretty much equal parts hip hop and R&B, and not just switching off parts but blending them together. On top of all this, there are a fair number of guest artists, all from their hometown of Manchester, with [ K S R ], DRS, LayFullStop, and Terri Walker all hopping on give the album just a little bit of extra flavor. The great thing is that these are all artists that know each other well, so that when each one comes aboard, the transitions are all seamless, and the musical understanding between artists is exceptional. It all comes together to make a great album that will make a great soundtrack for your late summer nights.

It’s a little odd to speak of an album as both a debut full-length for a group, and as an effort from longtime friends and collaborators, but Children of Zeus took the long route to find themselves in this situation. The good news is that Kon and Daley made Travel Light worth the wait, delivering a mature and thoughtful album full of great grooves.