Here’s my mini-review of some albums and EPs, which were released in the first four
months of 2023.
- Belle and Sebastian – Late Developers
The Glasgow band upped their game after 2022’s energy-less ‘A Bit of Previous’ with an exciting dance record: ‘Late Developers’. Sarah Martin’s vocals are welcome whenever she appears, and Stuart Murdoch’s singing does not disappoint either. The dance/synth sound of one of their past albums, ‘Girls In Peacetime Want to Dance’, resurface here, much to my joy.
- Lana Del Rey – Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd.
Lana Del Rey delightfully revisits her trip-hop and alt-R&B musical past, a la ‘Ultraviolence’ and ‘Born To Die’ with the beats, hip hop elements, exaggerated swagger in her singing and the touch of comedy. ‘Did You Know…..’ is entertaining, immersive, cinematic, sexy, dark and stylish. All the things that made me love Lana’s music years ago.
- Chloe – In Pieces
R&B artist Chloe Bailey, better known as one half of sister duo Chloe X Halley, has made her debut. The album, titled ‘In Pieces’, is disappointing and underwhelming. The song arrangements are divisive, the ideas are all over the place, and there are unwelcome turns from controversial guest artists (ahem Chris Brown and Future) who are known to be abusive misogynists. Still, there are songs where Bailey shines, such as “Told Ya” with Missy Elliott. I think at the end of the day, ‘In Pieces’ is just an R&B record about good-for-nothing guys, without much originality or authentic feelings shining through.
- Melanie Martinez – PORTALS
Singer-songwriter Melanie Martinez has undergone a physical and stylistic transformation after her ‘K-12’ album/film and ‘After-School’ EP. And the results are a bit embarrassing. Ditching the kawaii-horror and nursery school aesthetic, she has put on heavy makeup to look like a second-hand Bjork alien.T he songs, some of which have their moments, are a rock/metal hybrid that largely feel like Jazmin Bean rejects.
- Yaeji – With A Hammer
Yaeji’s debut album is here, and it has a soft, minimal and unassuming quality that makes it stand above the EDM music that often tries too hard to grab our attention, such as by being loud and having no moments of silence. It’s lovely the way ‘WAH’ starts off with a flute tune that has us mistaken that we clicked onto Bjork’s ‘Utopia’ record. But, this album is something of its own and Yaeji’s voice is intriguing. The sounds in this album are like no other at the moment.
- Jessie Ware – That! Feels Good!
English vocalist Jessie Ware brought disco revival into 2020 just as Dua Lipa did, with her spectacular album ‘What’s Your Pleasure?’. And now, the LP sees a sequel in the form of ‘That! Feels Good!’. I loved that this new record is smashier and more explosive than its predecessor (the sense of release we get is satisfying). But it feels a tad earnest and show-y. I get that it’s DISCO and CAMP and it’s supposed to not take itself too seriously. But the absolute sensuality and irresistible tension and magic in ‘WYP’ will stay in our minds for way longer than the airy-but-fun ‘T!FG’, of that I have little doubt.
And now, for the extended plays (EPs):
- Qveen Herby – The Muse
Rapper Qveen Herby commemorated February 14’s Valentine’s Day with her festive EP, The muse’. Golden nuggets from this little record include “Chucky Cheese”, “Nah” and “Thank Goddess”. Check out her past EPs, which also dropped on holidays, such as ‘Mad Qveen’ and ‘Halloqveen’.
- Alice Longyu Gao – Let’s Hope Heteros Fail, Learn and Retire
Chinese producer and singer Alice Longyu Gao channels a bitter and chaotic Jobu Tupaki in her quest to smash heterosexuality to the ground and establish her queer monarchy. While not everyone is onboard with her brattiness on the opening and closing tracks, you have to admit this EP has the best bites in the main body. “Make You <3 Me”, “Hello Kitty”,“Come 2 Brazil”. All are wins in my book. Gao is an exciting figure in the hyperpop scene, and possibly one of the last standing artists in the subgenre whom I take seriously.
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- Princess Nokia – i love you, but this is goodbye
Rapper Princess Nokia spins a story of love, heartbreak and cutting ties in this tight 7-track EP. The artist proves to be versatile too, not only in emotions (as she jumps from infatuation to anger and, finally, self-love), but also in sound. She grapples with pop-punk, 00’s-style garage, staunch rap bars and disco-pop.
- ENNY – We Go Again
London-based rapper ENNY offers us a quiet, meditative and reflective form of rap music, an EP which feels like the afterparty moment in time. Where it’s 3AM and we are all in cabs on our way home.
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