Begin

Hervey takes cues from forthright soul-funk greats like Chaka Khan, Betty Wright, and Betty Davis, but she has a gentler character that's her own, whether she's singing of body positivity, seducing without compromising herself, or serving up would-be skipping rhymes.

The cracks in their songwriting and sonics come off as welcome decoration, and their why-the-hell-not bravado is hugely refreshing.

Hiccups aside, Begin is an otherwise highly enjoyable album, one that sees Lion Babe fearless in their willingness to experiment with various styles in order to see what works and what doesn't.

There are no experimental digressions that might alienate the dance floor, no nods to the salad days of Brainfeeder or Ice Cream Records simply for the sake of bolstering the duo’s music-nerd cred. Lion Babe aren’t after cred. They’re after hits.

‘Begin’ may be more of a reverential piece of art than a novel creation, but there is enough substance here to surmise Lion Babe’s future promise.

Many of Lion Babe’s ditties fall short of achieving anything in particular, making it a pleasant enough album, but one that is quickly forgettable.