You can pinpoint the moment Umami comes to life. The album is likeable, elegant jazz-inflected R&B—lush, warm, and Anita Baker-like—until it gets to the chorus of “Self Promotion” and a hard, crunchy guitar stomps in. Suddenly, the arrangement moves to 3D and there’s a Princely psychedelic edge to the song. Rather than carrying the load, “Sista Teedy” Tricia Boutte joins the band and is sexier, wittier, smarter—whatever the song calls for. From that point on, Paul David and Kimberley Longstreith’s songs have bolder arrangements and more personality.

That said, I doubt the songs were recorded in this order, and it is a function of sequencing that the most dynamic songs kick in at track five. One thing that isn’t an illusion is that the most distinctive tracks involve sex, which sounds exciting and normal on a CD. Sharing wisdom is good, but getting busy sounds better.