Dinner Party return with another short set of songs

Dinner Party have released Whatchu Bringing?, a nine-track, 25-minute record that continues the brief, easygoing releases the group has built its catalog on since 2020. SPIN's review says the record "does little to depart from the established recipe," built on "jazz-inflected, hip-hop informed, soul-infused R&B confections."

The group pairs pianist Robert Glasper and saxophonist Kamasi Washington with producers Terrace Martin and 9th Wonder. Frequent collaborator Phoelix sings lead on much of the record, his falsetto driving ballads like "Stargazing" and his lower register anchoring "I Wonder." J Ivy opens the album with a spoken-word intro ahead of the first song, "If It Ain't Broke (Love Wins)."

SPIN singled out several tracks for closer description: "I'm Yours" rides a new-jack-smooth groove troubled by an electric piano note that opens and closes the song; "Mutual Respect" balances floating, squiggly electric keys against a harder-edged acoustic line, with velvety beats filling the space between them; and "Just My Type" turns on a self-contained Glasper melodic figure echoed by what the review called "melancholy, Shorter-like playing" from Washington.

Two tracks drew the most praise: "Breakfast at Sharkey's," which features guitar from session player Isaiah Sharkey, also a longtime D'Angelo collaborator, and stands out for its punchy loops and layered rhythms, and closer "Peace of Mind," which reworks a Hiatus Kaiyote vocal sample into what SPIN called "a knotty, compact gust." The review said those two tracks "really stand out" in ways the rest of the record, where most songs run under three minutes, does not.

Glasper is also set to headline the opening nights of Blue Note's new London club in September.

SPIN's overall verdict was mixed: the record "doesn't disappoint, exactly," but the outlet said listeners "might wish that Dinner Party would stop focusing on the convivial setting and start to really cook."