Bravo's sequel to Tall Black Guy's inaugural 2012 collection is an encompassing affair that draws soul, funk, and hip-hop into its orbit and pulls together tracks from artists residing in the US, Canada, London, and Germany. 2 though, with the compilation being so stylistically adventurous, he very well could have. Lord Echo doesn't appear on Tempo Dreams Vol. Curiosities impresses for the pure listening pleasures it provides but also for the convincing simulation Fabs effects of loose jams packed with horn players, keyboardists, guitarists, bassists, and drummers. Adu's sultry vocal turn on “Molten Lava,” which alternates between string-kissed reverie and pulsating disco, is also memorable, as are the vocal rides taken by Mara TK on the Afro-infused burner “Put it in My Head” and Lisa Tomlins on “The Creator Has a Master Plan.” “Digital Haircut,” “Street Knowledge,” and the Motown-esque “What is That Feeling” see Fabs digging into honking, soul-funk workouts that would do Sly Stone and James Brown proud. An early highlight, the sunlit “Bohemian Idol” augments a vocal by Toby Laing (so smooth it could make Smokey Robinson jealous) with a clavinet-sweetened dub-funk skank.

The scene-setting “Endless Dawn” eases the album in on a trippy wave of African percussion and shimmering organ tones before slipping into a modal jazz vamp that echoes A Love Supreme. The album material oozes a positive peace-love-unity vibe (explicitly in Fabs' boogie-licious cover version of Pharoah Sanders and Leon Thomas's “The Creator Has a Master Plan” and its “Peace and happiness for every man” message) that one associates with the ‘60s, values that in our current state of global turbulence seem woefully remote. Its occasional reggae vibe doesn't come as a major surprise, given that Fabs is known in some circles for the production work he's done with the New Zealand reggae act The Black Seeds. Many of Curiosities' tracks grew out of personal relationships Fabs has with his collaborators and guests, people like Tony Laing, Leila Adu, and Mara TK, and the familial rapport Fabs shares with such individuals seeps into the music. In an artist's statement that aptly captures the project's open-minded and embracing character, Fabs asserts, “Part of my approach has always been to try and take elements of a style of music that may be somewhat distasteful to my ears-say disco or techno-and try to remake it using my preferred sonic palette of 1960s production techniques and the influences of my favourite styles of music-Jamaican reggae, East and West African music, and American funk and soul.” Awareness of Fabs' gifts increased when influential tastemakers like Gilles Peterson, Oliver Wang (Soulsides), and Richard Dorfmeister spread the word about Melodies, the 2010 debut Lord Echo set, and one imagines something similar could happen with the new release, too. New Zealand-based multi-instrumentalist and composer Mike Fabs demonstrates a deft stylistic command on his sophomore Lord Echo collection Curiosities. They'll be able to customize the frames with their favorite photos from the past few years of friends and family to give them a little piece of home in their new place.VA: Teeko & B. Are they aiming for a high-rise corporate career? Shoe polish kit it is! Getting their first apartment? Stock them up with a cute photo frames. Whether the giftee has a job offer lined up 24 hours after they toss their cap in the air or they're moving back home with their parents, giving something with everyday or long-term utility (see: luggage) is a thoughtful way to guide a youngster through this often strange transition into the 'real world.' 'I'm graduating nursing school in a few months, and I'm definitely someone who would want something gifted to me that would make my life easier as a new grad something practical,' says nursing school student Paige Kaufman.

While you might think the monogrammed bright pink hand towels you picked out are 'so her,' always keep in mind 'what if they don't like this or want something else?' Whether that means providing a gift receipt or only buying from places with an easy return policy, returnable or exchangeable gifts are a must. For one: Get them something they can return or exchange. But there are a couple rules of thumb you can follow, according to Hallmark. As with any gift, it depends on the person.

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