Afro-Scottish upstarts Young Fathers offer an unusual confluence of influences: the moody beatwork of trip-hop cut with a requisite amount of old dub, combined with posivibes think-rap of early ’90s dudes like PM Dawn, but made modern by the rise of woozy beat-damaged R&B and soul-infused art-rock like TV on the Radio. Alloysious was born in Liberia, Kayus was raised in Edinburgh by Nigerian migrants, and the one called G is, well, just Scottish. They’ve apparently been working together since they were 14 years old, so it’s no surprise that their strange combination of styles plays with the fluidity of a three-way mind meld. Los Angeles left-fielder Anticon is reissuing the group’s 2011 debut, Tape One, on January 22, and the video for the song “Romance” premiered over on Stereogum today. While this track leans heavy on roots reggae, it comes refracted through the lens of modern downer soul, and the soft-spoken rap verse exists in a class of its own. Young Fathers direct their own music videos — typically grainy, intimate, and dripping with enigma. Here’s a bonus clip, “Sister,” a Tape One highlight that’s a bit more indicative of the YF sound.
