Smokey & Miho

by MacKenzie WilsonSmokey & Miho are magnetic on their self-titled EP, making for an impressive debut. Bird-like chanteuse Miho Hatori charms her way throughout the five-song selection and multi-instrumentalist Smokey Hormel provides a captivating mix of Latin jazz, worldbeat, and indie pop. The sun-kissed jazz number "Summer Rain" features Hatori singing in Japanese, while smooth percussion and horn arrangements coyly twist around in "Blue Glasses." Smokey & Miho initially came together because of their admiration for '60s jazz, and it serves as a template for their sophisticated indie sound. But Smokey & Miho aren't excessive in creating their own stylish jazz, either. "Ocean In Your Eyes," which was featured in the sexy thriller Y Tu Mama Tambien is a testament to that. Jazz and electronic bits make the Smokey & Miho EP, as a whole, a fashionably cool effort.