This album starts off with “Frontline”, and I love just how scenic and visual this intro is. Kelela has always sort of really had a knack for making atmosphere’s, but this is like overdrive for her. There really isn’t that big of a beat, it’s all Kelela with this heavily synthetic atmosphere which as always comes off very futuristic. But it gives us a whole lot of time to focus on Kelela, which is really nice. But then when the beat comes in, it’s actually really classy and smooth. Kelela’s performance is so artsy even though her voice is so pure, it’s actually really incredible. But as futuristic and next level as this all comes off, Kelela continues to really respect and bring in elements of classic R&B. I also really love her very surreal delivery and imagery in her lyrics, which of course, she blends with classic elements of R&B as well. It’s a really bombastic and huge introduction. “Waitin” remains very airy and futuristic sounding. But oh man, this one brings in a whole lot of grooves as well, with Kelela bringing in some sort of retro pop elements that are really really nice. It’s glamorous, it’s glitzy, but it’s also totally left field of everything happening in R&B right now. I love just how smooth her vocals are, especially among these very eclectic and bass-heavy beats. There’s a lot going on in tracks like this, but I love just how broad and beautiful they’re coming off. Also, some of these breaks where it’s just Kelela and a soft backdrop are so serene and beautiful. But at the same time, in these tales of late night lovers, there continues to be plenty for fans of old-school R&B. “Waitin” is wonderful. Then we have “Take Me Apart”, which is so much smoother and like a stunning, classic R&B ballad. I love the glitchy production in the background as well as Kelela’s much bigger performance on this one. Like, her vocals here are absolutely soaring, and the vocal effects and production compliment her wonderfully. She continues to have such a way of taking these very old school, steamy R&B influences and mixing them with these stunning and abrasive instrumental passages that are seriously hard to keep track of. But that’s what makes this album so exciting, especially for the R&B genre. And the harmonies towards the end of this track are just so great, this album continues to be wonderful. I think what really keeps me coming back though are these atmospheres. The introduction of “Enough” is near jaw-dropping, and easily one of the most serene things I’ve heard all year. When I heard Kelela’s early material, this was exactly what I wanted to hear her jump on, and the results are incredible. This is a really passionate and strangely dramatic R&B tune. Now, while this isn’t as intense or as eclectic, this is easily the most beautiful tune here. Kelela’s vocals are so sweet and beautiful among these very futuristic and spacey beats. It’s an eye-opening sound that really isn't being completely capitalized on right now, and I can’t get enough of it. Now, “Jupiter” sadly doesn’t hit me that hard at all. It’s a little too spacey for my liking, and so far this has been a completely spacey album. But this one just seems a little unfinished and thrown together. The production is nice, and Kelela sounds just fine. But this could have been a little more progressive and fleshed out and it would have been so much more interesting and memorable.
On the other hand, I really love the gentle synth intro and very sweet atmosphere of “Better”. I love Kelela’s very old school way of storytelling that really does take me back to classic R&B artists. It’s refreshing though and comes off really classy. As far as Kelela’s vocals go, however, this may be my favorite performance of hers on the entire album. It’s just so tender, and when it gets into more melodic territory it’s some of her catchiest moments of the entire album. The layered vocals literally send chills down my spine. And while yes, some of the more eccentric and wildly produced tracks here have been the real show. But it’s nice to just hear a track to remind us just who we’re dealing with. But for my money, “LMK” really takes the cake. I love how hulking the beat is, and how dark and much more dreary this atmosphere is compared to the rest of the album. I wouldn’t say it’s completely dark, but man is this one ever moody. But it’s memorable as hell, and Kelela’s personality really shines within this atmosphere. I can’t help but get swept up in “LMK” with its unbelievably murky club feel, which is made so much bigger by just how hulking the production is. I don’t have a single bad thing to say about this one, it’s brilliant. Then we have “Truth Or Dare” which is much more straightforward. It actually may be the most straightforward track here. And it’s easily the sexiest track here, by far, and it certainly does it’s job. I just love the sheer amount of personality coming out of Kelela here. But as far as the instrumental and production goes, I feel like this is a major miss. There have been more stripped down tracks on here, but none of them have been nearly as bare bones as this. It’s just so bland. Kelela has done such a good job with establishing her sound. But this one just sort of wipes that all away. Even the production is so much more stripped down and less interesting. Lyrically, this certainly does keep you interested and all, but “Truth Or Dare” for me is a weak point. Then we have “S.O.S” which has a long and drawn out introduction that sort of confuses me, especially since the tune is so short. There are some nice strings, and the production is loads better. But once again, this one feels drastically incomplete. Kelela sounds steamy and incredible for sure, this album has certainly taken a turn for the steamy very quickly. But I just really think this track should have been expanded on in a big way. On the other hand “Blue Light” really grabs you right from Kelela’s opening high notes. I love the return of the super glitchy production and this very hazy atmosphere. In a way, I feel like Weeknd fans would really be a lot of this, especially his early stuff. Obviously, The Weeknd’s material isn’t nearly as futuristic. But still, that very hazy, after party feel is here in a big way. “Blue Light” is just so hazy and drunken feeling in the best way. I love Kelela’s vocals on this one as they’re up against these very wonky and bizarre synths. Seriously, what a vibrant and forward-thinking R&B album.
Then we have “Onanon”, which is something that we really haven’t heard much of here, and that’s an upbeat and more intense track. It comes off really well however for Kelela. This is easily the most bizarrely produced track here with tons of edgy production and harsh instrumentals. Even Kelela’s performance here is just so much more left field. Overall, this is a totally different track for her, but she does it so much justice. Obviously, because the production is a little more intense it’s not as spacey. But it’s still very eclectic and futuristic. “Turn To Dust” is up next, which starts off with this very classy and elegant intro. It’s one of the album’s stranger tracks as far as production goes, with this one hopping around to a few different sorts of sounds. But for a much more low-key tune, once again this one remains intoxicating because of just how serene the atmosphere is and how compelling Kelela is as an artist. And yes, I sort of wish this was a little more heavy hitting. But I would still much rather listen to THIS than anything else in contemporary R&B. Now, while a lot of the shorter tracks here have been a little underwhelming for me, “Bluff” is actually really effective. It’s noisy with some super sleek production, and Kelela introduces her idea and finalizes it wonderfully. It’s a totally acceptable and solid tune, even if it’s only a minute long. This album wraps up with “Altadena”, which has a much more sluggish beat that sort of sounds like it was dragged out of whoever produced this track. Not to mention, Kelela’s introductory vocals are sort of really messy. I would love to love this as a finale. But Kelela almost constantly sounds like she’s trying to play catchup with the beat, and I’m not sure why. It’s just not nearly as engaging as other tracks here. It’s just so cloudy, to the point where there’s no structure. And while Kelela’s vocals do improve eventually, they end up being just alright.
Rating: 8.3/10
Give A Listen To: "Waitin", "Enough", "Better", "LMK"
Genre: Alternative R&B / R&B / Electronic
If You Dig This, Check Out: FKA Twigs - "FKA Twigs", Kelela - "Hallucinogen", The Weeknd - "House of Balloons", FKA Twigs - "M3ll155x"
Overall Thoughts: This is exactly what I was hoping to hear from Kelela's full-length debut album. This album is stunning, with abrasive and interesting production galore. But it goes so much deeper than that. In between, Kelela shows off a wonderful amount of personality, fusing her very moody futuristic vibes with classic R&B influences all over the place. It's not perfect, and it's not genre-bending, but I would absolutely rather listen to this than just about any other R&B this year.
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