While the second outing for Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge’s two-man supergroup NxWorries recaptures the soft-edged nostalgia-funk sound of their 2016 debut Yes Lawd!, the lyrical vibe is much darker and more uncertain. The singer/rapper Paak seems deep in the slough of break-up despondency – his lyrics wildly switching moods between anger, self-pity and desperate horniness.

While Paak’s leathery, weathered vocal is soulful, he is an unlikable narrator. He is adept at charting heartache, moaning “I can’t do the same things I used to do” on MoveOn. But it’s harder to empathise with tracks whining about prenups, snarls of “Bitch, you supposed to be with me” (KeepHer), calling a girlfriend a “dumb bitch” and fuming over an ex’s social media activity. Knxwledge’s dulcet productions nonetheless keep things sweet, stitching together Stylistics sitars and shimmering, Georgie Fame sound-beds to sculpt a dreamy 70s soul sound.

Released 14 June

• This article was amended on 11 June 2024 to remove some speculative references about the album.