“I take a splash of blue and red and add it to the paper” is the opening lyric to the cutesy lounge track that kicks off Fox & Sui’s six-track EP Taboo. It’s like the vocalist is applying dabs of her beautiful voice to a trip-hop tapestry that is perfectly matched to her voice. Fox & Sui, otherwise known as Melbourne’s Andras Fox and Sydney’s Sui Zhen, sound like they have their art down pat. The slight, yet gently seductive beats and vocals drift across the EP’s quarter of an hour, though the duo are at their most striking on that painterly opener (Summer Storm) and its soulful follow-up song, I Don’t Wanna Go. The tropical feel is maintained with squawks of gulls and streams of monsoon rain; nostalgia is evoked with the odd crackle of well-worn vinyl.
Despite the brevity of Taboo, it feels like a satisfactory length for its content. The songs don’t ever feel like they need to stretch much over the three-minute mark and there’s a little variation between songs (the calypso strut of Moon Nightclub is a nice touch), but not a lot. It’s an appealing taster, but a full-length follow-up might require a few extra colours to be added to the palette.
BY CHRIS GIRDLER
Best Track: I Don’t Wanna Go (particularly the adorable way it ends)
If You Like These, You’ll Like This: About Last Night NEW BUFFALO, Pip OTOUTO
In A Word: Suite
