"Recognition" offers a glimpse of Seattle astral R&B duo THEESatisfaction's forthcoming Sub Pop album, EarthEE (out Feb. 24, 2015; Erik Blood and THEESatisfaction produced). It begins as if in a focused trance, with THEESat and Shabazz Palaces' Palaceer Lazaro intoning, "You believe when you blink, you think, that it is a scene/Your faithfulness, your dedication, but no work goes without recognition (recognition) [recognition] {recognition}." The first minute's all burbling mbira and softly pattering congas (from Tendai Maraire) until languidly funky bass and drums barge in and coruscating keyboards peel out for the stars while Cat leans in for a gorgeous croon. "Recognition" ends as it begins, bringing the concise track back full circle, like a twinkling Möbius strip. It's a fulfilling round trip of well-earned self-affirmation that—in my mind, at least—alludes to Annette Peacock's riveting tone poems and Tonto's Expanding Head Band's space hymns. (The latter produced Stevie Wonder's most adventurous records in the '70s.) I wish "Recognition" were at least five times longer.

More info on EarthEE here. Tracklist after the jump.

1. "Prophetic Perfection"
2. "No GMO" [ft. Taylor Brown]
3. "Planet for Sale"
4. "Blandland" [ft. Ishmael Butler of Shabazz Palaces]
5. "Fetch/Catch" [ft. Taylor Brown]
6. "Nature's Candy"
7. "EarthEE" [ft. Shabazz Palaces, Porter Ray, and Erik Blood]
8. "Post Black, Anyway"
9. "Universal Perspective" [ft. Meshell Ndegeocello]
10. "WerQ" [ft. Meshell Ndegeocello]
11. "Sir Come Navigate" [ft. Tendai Maraire of Shabazz Palaces]
12. "Recognition" [ft. Shabazz Palaces and Erik Blood]
13. "I Read You" [ft. Erik Blood]