Zero 7

Zero 7's Henry Binns and Sam Hardaker spent studio time with the Pet Shop Boys and Robert Plant well before they started building their own electro-soul songs. So don't worry, down-tempo fans — the following tracks are free of drab drum loops and sleepy synth lines. Instead, "Destiny" walks beat-savvy shores with an acoustic guitar in hand, and "Throw It All Away" lights a fire beneath a subdued horn section.

The former sound engineers show off more of their constructions in Next Steps.

Like a top chef's arsenal of secret ingredients, Zero 7 has impeccable taste when it comes to guest vocalists. No wonder repeat performer José González's cleaver-sharp acoustic songs ("Stay in the Shade", "Crosses") have a way of turning smooth skin to goose bumps, while Sia's weightless singing ("Don't Bring Me Down") is always in search of that perfect, wilting string section.

Another awful day at the office, one you can't numb with happy hour specials at your local gastropub? Then head on home, slip into something comfortable, and cue up this hip-hop-, electronic-, jazz-, and soul-spiked Zero 7 playlist. Like Massive Attack and Morcheeba during the height of trip-hop's reign, it's the music to zone out to — as chilled and smooth as a top-shelf martini, without resorting to any of the future-shocked lounge clichés that make most of us cringe. By the way, Zero 7 is named after a Honduran nightclub called Zero Siete.