Everything’s a little blurry this morning. SZA is helping. We can clump it together with the ‘post- R’n’B’ movement if we have to, but it’s just plain good. I know nothing of the backstory right now and am a little too hungover to try, so let’s just talk about the sounds.
The first I heard of SZA was ‘Time Travel Undone’. The production is smart and savvy, but it’s the voice that gives the record its soul. It lends itself to the ethereal nature of the project so well. Marry that with a trippy ‘You’re not in Kansas anymore’ visual that filters through the video, and it’s all incredibly captivating.
Part of the post-R’n’B aesthetic is to show off your indie credentials, so I did chuckle when I heard an Empire of The Sun loop being used in another track, but it’s not a token measure. It works, again with some smooth beats and SZA’s voice reverberating over the top.
There’s also some Frank Ocean comparisons that could be made. ‘Crack Dreams’ draws a lazy likeness to Frank’s ‘Crack Rock’ in name only, but beyond that there’s a storytelling element to the lyrics that’s interesting. And again, it just sounds so good. Excited to hear more.
Horses Playing Harps 