Playin' Me is the culmination of a couple of years' work since that '09 single, and what the lead-up singles hinted at. The '86 Prince-via-Kode9 flourishes of 2010's Up in My Head; the slow-boiling crest of the following year's microhouse-tinged Landscapes - is elaborated on even further.
When she goes back through the lineage of her sound, from funky to dubstep to garage to drum'n'bass, she digs all the way back to the groundswell of synthesized, post-disco R&B to give it a common thread.
The vibe of the album is consistently, deceptively understated, intricacy taking priority over immediacy. But by the halfway point, the juxtaposition of complex drum patterns, slow-motion melodies, and heavily floating basslines makes this album's woozy intensity feel completely immersive.
The way it passes through all sorts of different stylistic contexts makes it one of those records where its personality's better defined by its moods than any genre affiliations