Lion Babe: Begin
Lion Babe
Begins
(Polydor)
After years of performing at music festivals and opening for artists like the UKās Disclosure and rapper Childish Gambino, New York City-based duo Lion Babe finally releases its debut, Begin. Ā Comprised of singer-songwriter Jillian Hervey (daughter of actor-singer Vanessa Williams) and producer-musician Lucas Goodman (also known as Astro Raw), the followup to their 2014 self-titled EP is a genre-bending caseĀ of disco, pop, soul and R&B influences thatās as fresh as it is a throwback.Ā Though the pair have been getting co-signs from well-known actsĀ for the last three years, Lion Babe still flies underĀ the radar. However, that might change this year. āTreat Me Like Fireā (which I heard on urban radio last week) is a slinky R&B groove that showcases Herveyās Badu-esque vocal stylings. The same is further seen on āJump Hi,ā where Childish Gambino appears alongside a wonderful sample by Nina Simone. Other standouts include the seductive āJungle Lady,ā the groovy āStressed OUT!,ā and the saucy āWonder Womanā (co-produced by Pharrell Williams).