In the midst of the diverse dosage of music that has been released in the last few weeks, it’s easy for some worthwhile projects to get lost in the shuffle. Scouring the internet to make sure I didn’t miss a thing, I found myself stumbling across some hidden gems that wouldn’t normally be in my go-to playlists.
Being mostly unfamiliar with WILLOW’s discography, the single that came my way first was “run!” and it latched onto me impersonating a warm welcome into enjoying a new experience.
The track left a satisfactory filling with the bass usage and changes in her voice inflections while also impressing me with the smooth beat switches. The combination of this sparked my interest and left me no choice but to act on my curiosity to explore the record.
Accompanied by Jon Baptise on the opening of “home” WILLOW validated my feelings which added to her musical hospitality giving listeners a space to fully emerge into a new world.
Stepping inside WILLOW’s home, she then added another layer to this idea on perhaps the overall best song and lead single from the album “symptom life.”
The enchanting vocals danced over the joyful keys from the piano in the background, then seamlessly transitioned to soft percussion with a beautiful blend of strings as well.
Throughout the tracklist, there were a few misses but if given the chance, WILLOW finds the opportunity to quickly add tweaks and flow changes to keep each song refreshing and filled with replay value.
“the fear is not real” is the best example of this, starting off as an arguably skippable track in the first 30 seconds but by second 48 you can hear the change approaching. Then one minute and eight seconds in it quickly shifted into a clear favorite from the 12 song project.
The LA singer was seemingly confident that listeners would gravitate to her beat selections because on the song “no words part 1 & 2” she did just that, continuing to display her streak of impressive instrumentals.
While the beat execution plays a huge part into this being a pleasant listen, WILLOW’s vocal performance was just as pure, if not, better.
As displayed on “false self” and “between i and she”, her voice appeals to fans and newcomers,tempting them to join in and sing along.
If there was any uncertainty that this album would or would not be one to return to, the final two tracks made sure to end those assumptions.
“i know that face” and “ b i g f e e l i n g s” closed the musical book in a theatrical fashion, granting listeners the feeling of being the “main character” reminiscent of finale tracks for stage productions or television shows.
Upon finishing the 32 minute album, it was obvious musical gold was stumbled upon. WILLOW succeeded in providing enticing music for newcomers and day one fans to add to their rotation as the seasons look to change.
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