If you are curious about Phonte and Nicolay’s mindset going into their fifth studio album as the Foreign Exchange, just look at their social media accounts. Phonte, the group’s affable frontman, feeds his Twitter stream with acerbic real talk and hot-take movie reviews. On Facebook, producer Nicolay posts videos of bobblehead dolls in his studio, and jokes about his paltry royalty checks from streaming services. After 11 years together, and several albums of grown folks' soul, it seems the two aren’t taking themselves too seriously. They're having fun and don't mind bringing you into the fold.
Tales from the Land of Milk and Honey is a delightful collection of sophisticated R&B and electronic dance, tied directly to the era of Morris Day funk grooves and Teddy Riley’s New Jack Swing. As it plays, Phonte, Nicolay, keyboardist Zo!, and vocalists Carmen Rodgers and Tamisha Waden recall the storied Minneapolis funk sound while staying true to their own established blend of Eurocentric electro-soul. In a way, Milk and Honey feels like a concept record: The press photos resemble a parody of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis, and the title track evokes Sergio Mendes’ brand of airy Brazilian jazz. The lyrics pull from Stevie Wonder's songbook of imagined utopias and peaceful horizons. Then suddenly, on "Work It to the Top", Phonte sings in a nasal tone that channels groups like Ready for the World and Cameo over a vintage, computerized-R&B stomp.
Milk and Honey moves swiftly and has the same radiant mood as 2013’s Love in Flying Colors, the group’s previous album. But if Colors embraced the joy of a new relationship, Milk and Honey explores the comforts of sustained romance, where the urge to hit the club gives way to Netflix date nights and glasses of wine at the crib. "Body", a standout near the album’s end, says as much: "Nowhere to go and it’s nothing on these streets," Phonte sings, who addressed a similar notion on his 2011 solo album, Charity Starts at Home. The familiarity of the music is the best kind, and for anyone who has kept up closely with this project, it's both a joy and a comfort.
Ever since the group’s landmark debut, the Foreign Exchange has evolved into a roving crew of musicians who specialize in adult contemporary soul. They tend to focus on the day-to-day aspects of love and life, which helps them stay connected with their cult followers, some of whom have kept up with the crew since its inception on Okayplayer. Overall, Milk and Honey is a victory lap and a nice step forward in the group’s creative progress. Or maybe it’s a two-step.
