These children seem to be on a pretty good path from where I’m sitting. After helping to define the sound of Clutchy Hopkins, they came out with their own LP in 2008, and hooked up with Odeon Pope for one more. Aside from having a killer name, Odeon is a big wheel in jazz circles, having played tenor sax in the Max Roach Quartet for years as well as contributing to four Catalyst records in the ’70s. The experienced veteran he is, Pope has no problem finding just the right tone and flow to soar over the studio duo’s beats, which mostly consist of a standard rock power trip (guitar, drums, and bass) and select keyboard samples. It’s a happening sound.
That said, Misled Children would probably benefit from opening up their palette a little. It can be hard to tell many of their tracks apart, which makes for a good chill record, but not a very memorable one. “Ruff Seven” makes small gains with a more disjointed beat, a tabla, and what sounds like a traditional Japanese fiddle before it retreats back into its boom-bap safe zone. It’s one of the only times they throw you a little off balance. You should be made to work for it more. That’s what the best jazz does and that’s why the payoffs can be so rewarding.