MAHJONGG – “THE LONG SHADOW OF THE PAPER TIGER”

The Long Shadow of the Paper Tiger is Mahjongg’s first album without founding guitarist Jeff Carillo, and rather than try to replace him, the band goes even further in a dance-oriented direction, emphasizing the “tronic” part of the sound it calls “Chicagotronics. ” While the group’s fusion of 8-bit, industrial, Afro-beat, and anything else that suits its fancy is always intelligent, Mahjongg sounds a lot less cerebral here than they did on 2008’s relatively restrained Kontpab; the band has gotten out of its collective head and straight onto the dancefloor. The Long Shadow feels like a party, and everyone’s invited -- literally, since every track features guest vocalists ranging from the 1900s’ Jeanine O’Toole to the Unauthorized Terrance Duke, who helps make “Devry” into a sludgy, and witty, funk monster.