Tuxedo is, of course, the pairing of vocalist Mayer Hawthorne and producer Jake One. They first teamed up back in 2015, when they released their self-titled album. They followed that up with Tuxedo II in 2017, which means if you’re following the pattern, it is now time for Tuxedo III.

Tuxedo was built around the idea of going back to the days of electro-boogie, R&B, and disco, drawing upon influences like Zapp, Chic, Shalamar, Gap Band, later Kool and the Gang, and others. What made them so fun to listen to was a combination of escapist fun and their deep roots into this retro style. Hawthorne is charismatic as a front man who knows how to work his falsetto range, and Jake One is a very talented producer who proved with this project that he can make electro-boogie just as well as any of the underground hip hop bangers he made in the past. They also have great chemistry together, and really seem to enjoy throwing these dance parties every time they release an album. So when it came time for album number three, the two didn’t seem to want to rock the boat too much. Just run it back, and we’ll all have a little bit more fun. And to a certain extent, they aren’t wrong. This album is ultimately pretty enjoyable, with plenty of funky keyboard-centric tracks that you can dance to all summer long. They even bring in a couple of guests to shake things up, such as MF DOOM, Dam-Funk, Benny Sings, and Gavin Turek. With all this said, there is a part of this album that feels just a little stale. These guests are talented individuals, but no one is injecting the album with a new perspective or new energy that is going to give this project the boost it needs. Hawthorne is certainly an entertaining stage presence, but he’s not going to blow you away with pure vocal ability or lyricism. Jake One is laying down some good grooves, but there’s not necessarily a true stand out hook or riff that catches you the way that a song like “Do It” immediately caught everyone’s ears when the first album dropped. Maybe they are just going through the motions a little bit, or maybe the times are just too dark these days to enjoy some escapist good-time funk without some more depth to it, but III just falls a little bit flat compared to their previous efforts.

Tuxedo III is a solid, fun album, but it’s missing the spark to make it truly stand out. There’s not a bad track on the album, but there’s not a standout single either. Whatever the root cause, the duo needs to figure out how to refuel before they drop IV.