When he released his first solo EP, 2017's Spiritual Leader, drummer Ian Chang was already well-established in Brooklyn's indie and experimental rock scene, playing in bands including Son Lux and Landlady. With a degree in jazz performance from NYU and a distinctive knack for playing loping, fluctuating rhythms just off the beat while keeping impeccable time -- a version of Chopin's tempo rubato -- he had also begun to push boundaries in the realm of timbre by then. An early adopter of Sunhouse's Sensory Percussion, his debut EP explored themes relating to man versus machine while essentially turning his acoustic drum kit into a synthesizer. Chang then relocated to Dallas, where he worked on his full-length debut, Belonging, in his home studio. Though it again utilizes Sensory Percussion, unlike the instrumental Spiritual Leader, it includes guest vocalists on some tracks for Chang's first original songs. One such track is the under-three-minute "Comfort Me" featuring Kiah Victoria. An R&B-leaning tune, it combines Chang's wonky percussion rhythms, a funky, melodic bassline, and atmospheric effects including fluttery, squeaky electronic loops and guitar. Kiah Victoria's yearning, melismatic vocal lead gives the song an accessible, singalong-friendly stamp. The other featured spots include Kazu Makino from Blonde Redhead on the warped but more spacious "Audacious," and a wordless Hanna Benn appears on the instrument sample-heavy "Bird's Tongue." On the strictly instrumental side, "Zoetrope" is a glitchy exercise in rhythm and texture featuring Son Lux bandmate Rafiq Bhatia on guitar. (Bandleader Ryan Lott mixed Belonging.) Taken together, it's fascinatingly kinetic, and the occasional easygoing melodic hook helps take the edge off. ~ Marcy Donelson, Rovi

1		Lion Dance
2		Comfort Me
3		Teem
4		Swarm
5		Audacious
6		Food Court
7		Bird's Tongue
8		Zoetrope
9		Drunken Fist

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