Kisses

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While Kisses' past records have edged a more conceptual creative path, the LA duo's third album — Rest in Paradise — was born from a simpler approach. Focusing on what Jesse Kivel and Zinzi Edmundson considered to be the best songs they'd written since 2013's Kids in L.A., they recruited New York's mighty disco band Midnight Magic to play and Andrew Maury to help produce with full instrumentation. Rest in Paradise was recorded in a live and honest context, without leaning on overly stylized or synthetic technique, amounting to Kisses' most substantial release to date.

On Rest in Paradise Jesse's low- to mid-tempo inclinations are balanced with Zinzi's frenzied dance sensibilities, manifested in a mix of influences ranging from Wings to Rick James and Talking Heads. Meanwhile, a disco through line carries the groove throughout, making dance music that isn't only for the rhythm, but also structurally and lyrically complex.