During CMJ last year, you could hear rumblings of Inc.’s (formerly Teen Inc.) new direction in their live show. The eerie, warped AM-radio-at-3-AM vibe was gone, replaced instead by clear, modern funk reminiscent of Prince. "Swear" and the other two songs on 3, their debut EP for 4AD, go further down that road, picking up elements of vintage new jack swing but adding a moody low-end that could only come from something recorded much more recently. It's an interesting move forward, and very few bands could actually pull this off—but that's Inc.'s whole thing. Emulating sounds that shouldn't necessarily be emulated and then updating them and making them appealing in a reverent, but not unnecessarily nostalgic way. 3 will be out July 25th.
Download: Inc., "Swear"
