One might keep the new carpet crisp and clean by slipping on a pair of house shoes when indoors. Detroit bred, and now LA based, producer House Shoes brings a similar style to the production on his debut Let It Go. Following in a line of talented beatsmiths from the land of Lions and Tigers – from Jay-Dee to Apollo Brown – is no small task. Armed with a plethora of his pals from Motown on the mic, with a smattering of other artists from across the land, he still finds room for his production to speak for itself on the eighteen tracks.

Let It Go is loaded with jazzy backdrops, and includes a heavy emphasis on off-tempo drum patterns. It could easily fly over the head of some listeners as a little too subdued and at times may be seen as dragging in spots. It’s not geared for the club and even in the whip it is a little patchy due to a handful of downtempo tracks like the Black Spade narrated “Sunrise/Love”. The best listening suggestion would be on a pair of headphones or throwing the wax on the turntable while lounging around the house. That isn’t to say that the whole album is a snoozer.

Greneberg elevate a roots based beat on “Dirt”, and the ever-improving Alchemist on the mic continues to transform into a more pleasant listening experience, especially when complemented by Oh-No and Roc Marciano. “Time” featuring Big Tone was chosen as the initial single, and it’s easy to see why with verses about easily relatable topics and universal themes. Add samples from Steve Miller Band’s “Fly Like An Eagle” and you have a track that leaves an impression after the stop button is pushed.

There are standout cuts, and the production is solid throughout, but Let It Go still leaves something to be desired. Having the album for three months and yet not getting around to reviewing it may be the best way to summarize the impression it made. House Shoes is a solid producer, but the album’s execution and layout is choppy in parts, and at times much of it feels skippable.