South-east London’s Aria Wells returns her second album after 2021’s Man Made with a stylish, dark, smoky fusion of trip-hop, hip-hop, reggae, neo-soul, R’n’B, and indie rock, with a variety of timbres and themes, but overall one of self-renewal and change. Despite the eclectic mix, an effortlessly smooth feel to this record, her singing as strong as her rapping, and is joined by Wu-Lu on the dark, spooky My Neck. Bookended by the reggae vibes of Bali Skit Part 1 and Part 2, standouts include the striking manifesto-style former Song for the Day and lead single TARDIS (hardest), the Morcheeba-ish slick One Foot, the electronica-rap-dub-ska Nowhere Man, the slow, moody soulful Portishead-echoing Green, the trip-hop yearning reggae-flecked Stones Throw, the crash-bang rhythm, rock guitar and ghostly cool of Create or Destroy 432, and the Tricky-esque I AM (Reborn) with syncopated beats and sliding guitar - “I am not who I was yesterday … I gotta keep it moving.” Oozing class and confidence, this is a fascinating mix of styles, interweaving identity with fluidity. Out on AWAL.
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