Peace of Mind

It’s quite easy to imagine 'Peace of Mind' becoming one of those gotta-haves among any local music junkie’s collection. Funky, energetic, and stylish, Mxolisi Lokwe brazenly switches from jazz to hip-hop and back again while expertly maintaining that unique Afrofusion voice, delicate acoustic strings and kwaito beat he has become known for.

Musical influences include Letta Mbulu, Hugh Masekela, Marvin Gaye and even Santana — which gives you an idea of the breadth of this album. An ambitious offering of 15 tracks makes the musical journey an intriguing one, though there are a few minor hiccups on the way.

Sexy, sassy and irresistibly jivey, the first track ‘Tonight’ limbers you up right away — for MXO there’s no warming up; he wastes no time in getting down. The radio hit ‘Zandiy’bone’ follows, but by track three the beat becomes a little too familiar.

‘Sista Kunjani’ arrives in the nick of time. A Latin-inspired Santana-esque song dedicated to “those beautiful black sisters” that have "inspired" him along his way (we won't ask for names), this track is definitely one of the album’s high points and will have you shaking your leather-clad bootie in style.

Other floor shakers include ‘Gotta Go’ where Mxolisi turns up the hip-hop vibe, and ‘Funky’ where thigh-twitching break beats lie deftly over smooth-as-silk African jazz and long brassy notes, seeming to signal the cocktail hour and time to kick your shoes off.

'Nomalizo', a soulful version of the folksong, as well as Xhosa lyrics interspersed with English on all the songs add local authenticity, and make it a versatile cross-over album for any crowd.

Though promoters have lauded the track ‘Rebel Girl’ (where MXO works with Arno Carstens and Tumi), I found the track a disappointing end to an otherwise excellent album. Hard rock grinds interspersed with hip-hop can work — in rare cases — but here it doesn’t, and the track sounds like a bad effort by a junior high school rock band with a front man who's really meant to play soul.

In addition to steering clear of rock, MXO would also do well to tone down his female backing. Though you get the impression that this artist just loves to spread the love around, having the confidence to bring the musical focus more towards his own versatile and compelling vocals is something MXO will no doubt acquire in time.

The broad, somewhat experimental nature of 'Peace of Mind' is a testament to a rising SA star who is rapidly fine-tuning his voice. It'll also be a welcome guest at any gathering, whether between two or 200, since the album is groovy enough to get the party going and just tactful enough to know when it's time to tone it down.