Kaidi Tatham is a producer and multi-instrumentalist from London best known for his work as part of the collective Bugz in the Attic. Just this past year he released two solo instrumental EPs. Now he comes back with a full-length album, It’s a World Before You.

It doesn’t take too long into this album to get a feel for what Kaidi Tatham is throwing down, which is just tons of smooth, jazzy grooves that sound straight out of the ‘70s that will get you dancing. Listening to the album, you’ll start to think of everyone from George Benson to Billy Preston to Donald Byrd, and beyond. It’s an album constructed entirely by Tatham, who plays every instrument on the project, and when you get down to the nitty gritty, there are all sorts of interesting details to get yourself lost in within his arrangements. There aren’t any really big singles, despite the fact that we do get a couple of guest vocal spots. “Out Here On My Own,” featuring Children of Zeus, is an incredibly smooth and romantic track, with great vocal harmonies, and works perfectly with the overall sound of the album. Dego comes in at the very end of the title track, and just adds a tiny bit of flavor with a little hook, but disappears not too long after they come in. It’s really Uhmeer’s contribution on “Cupid” where we have the only real problem with the album. Lyrically, it’s just a mess, as Uhmeer tries to weave a narrative between multiple characters with assumed voice, which is tough enough, but then also in doing so introduces some sexist and otherwise rough language that just feels at direct odds with everything else that’s happening on the album. That song aside, It’s a World Before You is a strong album with a lot of great instrumental work and nice grooves.

Kaidi Tatham is a talented musician and producer who knows his way around a groove. He’s put a lot of really nice ones together on this album, with plenty of moments for him to shine as an instrumentalist. Not all of the vocal guests worked out, but overall the album is very enjoyable.