Beast’s music is not just one thing. Part funk, part rap, part jazz and part electronica, the debut effort of vocalist Betty Bonifassi and composer Jean-Phi Goncalves dances well across a myriad of genres and deftly defies convention.

The self-titled album is an impressive premiere. Bonifassi, who, among other things, worked on the acclaimed Triplets of Belleville soundtrack, sounds like the lovechild of Lauryn Hill and Amy Winehouse…which may initially appear scary but instead produces a honeyed, well-tempoed cross between spoken word and song. She’s got an impressive set of pipes, to say the least.

The album’s blend of voice and instrument has a percussive precision — no surprise, since Goncalves is also a drummer. Bonifassi’s smooth vocals shimmy up well against his bumping, thrumming beats and electronic melodies — something that is, no doubt, difficult to achieve. Goncalves, who has worked with several bands prior to the founding of Beast, serves up a mix of fuzzy electro-guitar riffs and interspersed analog musical elements like a tinkly series of piano scales and a swelling chorus of violins.

For those, in particular, who like a musical experimentation patchworked from many different feels, Beast is a must-listen. For those more conservative in their tastes…well, Beast might just shake ‘em up the right way.