Pillowfight

An unexpectedly inspired pairing of a hip-hop studio auteur (Dan “The Automator” Nakamura) and a folk-inflected singer/songwriter (Emily Wells), Pillowfight turns in a debut album that slinks across genre lines with a knowing smile. There are traces of Morcheeba’s sly grooves and Zero 7’s artsy electronic cool, along with a sardonic take on love worthy of The Cardigans. Pillowfight freely combines all this with a sense of wit that seems at once confessional and subversive. Wells’ bruised vocal purr (suggestive of Macy Gray) teases the ear in “Rain” and “You’re So Pretty” but draws blood on “Used to Think” and “Get Your S**t Together.” The drowsy flow of “I Work Hard” suggests lurking danger; tinkling pianos and swooning strings in “Sleeping Dogs” imply desire and regret in equal measure. Nakamura’s talent for quirky sonic pastiche is evident throughout, heard in the woozy funk-pop of “Get Down,” the off-kilter lope of “You Don’t Need Me,” and the dubstep cabaret meld of “Lonely City.” Pillowfight’s first effort is smart, sexy, and highly accessible, full of unsettling pleasures that deepen with repeated listening.