Since her debut album HEAVN last year (one of my albums of the year), Jamila Woods was a little bit quiet after the tour run and I honestly didn't expect anything new from her so soon. In the past I've described listening to Jamila's music as a form of self-care and so when this thumbnail popped up on my YouTube homepage I couldn't have clicked it faster.



This visual is simply stunning. I had to watch it twice back-to-back just to catch some of the nuances that I was sure that I'd missed. The various sets and LOOKS came together beautifully wrapped around snippets of commentary from empowered yet everyday Black wxmen. The mantra (adapted from Nikki Giovanni's piece - 'Ego Tripping') "there must be a reason why" comes at a time when we're closing in on the end of a confusing and uncertain year and leaves a dim glimmer of hope and purpose for the months to come. Jamila continues to make art that not only represents her, her life's inspirations and how she feels but also that resonates with most of those listening.  In a world that oftentimes makes it challenging to do so, Jamila consistently makes me feel, from my head to my toes, proud to be a Black wxman. She couldn't have picked a more crucial time to bring new music into my life.

The two albums that I'm focusing on are so unexpected for me. Had you have asked me which would be underrated and which would be overrated before I listened to both albums I would have put them both the other way around.

Spotify has been blessing me over the past couple of years with up-to-date releases and new songs and albums aimed at my tastes, and so on an awful commute home earlier this week it pleasantly surprised me with this beautiful summer-to-autumn light jam.

After finding out about Charles Dixon in 2015 here it's been a long road of grafting and evolving to get to this point but if you were wise enough to stick around for the ride you'll be able to hear that this EP is an exciting step forward for what is set to be a promising career journey.

Opening up the floor with the track "4 Chicks", Charles' flow is very reminiscent of Giggs' with the same witty delivery and killer beat to match. The initial trumpets set me up for a completely different vibe before the bass pulled the rug out from under me. Guaranteed to have your head nodding before long. Also the little snippets of conversation dotted around throughout make it clear from the start that Charles is no stranger to creativity in production.

The creativity in production becomes all the more clear as the last three tracks blend seamlessly into one another showing pockets of what we might be able to expect from a full length record. Closing out with "All My Life" on a softer note, you can expect to see some visuals for this track in the very near future.

Despite his presence on the scene over the past few years, this EP is built to make the listener stop what they're doing and take notice, and it's clearly a strong start out out of the gates. Charles will definitely be making waves with this EP 2018 and beyond. True Stories EP is out on Spotify and Apple Music today - give it a listen for yourselves!

Overall Rating - 7.5/10

After coming back from a little break myself I thought it apt to start with a post about this absolute beauty...

ADELE - Hello

This review's been a long time coming to be honest. I can't believe how long it's taken for me to listen to this in full! An album's first listen deserves full attention so finally, 2 weeks after release I got down to it. Here's my track by track...


1. What Went Down
Biggest song on the album! I don't actually think I'll change my opinion on that - this song is a juggernaut! The build on this is stellar. It's easy to compare this to "Inhaler" but it's a completely different  type of aggression fueling this. That grit-your-teeth-steel-yourself-confrontational type of anger in the bridge is nothing like the crowd-hyping-blood-boiling electricity in Inhaler. People will lose their minds to this - live or not.

2. Mountain At My Gates
This track chimes in so sweetly after that but in just as big a way. This is a belter - one for the thousands to sing. Very catchy hook. In short this song just felt confident. A safe but enjoyable track - I can't fault it.

3. Birch Tree
So this might be the most forgettable track on the album in my opinion. Still a solid track - radio-friendly, but nothing about it really jumped out at me. Nothing really held my attention throughout the track.

4. Give It All
Foals really show their undeniable versatility on this record. The way this track swells is almost soundtrack-like. The band's ability to paint a picture with their tracks has just grown and grown since Total Life Forever. Such a simple track but strikes a chord with Yannis' crooning and Walter's unmistakable "oohs" in the background.

5. Albatross
Next to "What Went Down" this is up there with my favourite songs on the record right now. The bass on this creeps up on you. It wasn't until around the 2 minute mark that my ears really pricked up. Everything just comes together so perfectly on this track - the synths mesh so well with the guitar.

6. Snake Oil
I'd seen videos of this performed live at their Rough Trade in-store before I listened to the record in full. The fact that I recognised the riff instantly after hearing maybe ten seconds of it live just says enough. This will definitely be one of the ones to stick in your head. I did expect the song to build up a little more urgency towards the end, so was shocked that it stayed pretty level. However, there is so much wiggle room for live performances on this song. I can already see the circle pits!

7. Night Swimmers
This song sounds like what it's called really. The guitar mimics ripples throughout. Again the bass though - Walter really kicks ass on this record! This track was a bit of a slow burner for me but by the end I was head nodding, air drumming and completely captured. Tune.

8. London Thunder
Three-quarters of the way through the album and I'm content. I feel like this might be the track that I return to the most on the album (out of the non-singles). I had to play this twice when I first heard it just so I could take in every last bit. Lyrically, conceptually - this song has an overwhelming presence, it just washes over you. 

9. Lonely Hunter
This instrumental is fantastic. Whilst I was listening to this I remember thinking "I'd love to hear a feature artist on this track" and then I realised that four albums in and Foals have never had a feature artist on any of their records. Foals have covered so many different sub genres throughout their career, touching rock to mainstream without the help of outside influence - big kudos.

10. A Knife In The Ocean
Here's where Jack shines most in my opinion - I love the drums on this. Strong ending (particularly instrumentally) to a consistent record. Although stepping away from a sound that has already been critically acclaimed is a risk in itself, this track did make me wish that Foals had risked a little more. Nothing on this record made my heart jump more than, or even as much as, the title track. There are no bad songs on this album but there could be more edges.


The last track didn't feel definitive; I expect something like a part two to this album - there's just so much more that Foals can do. It seems ridiculous to think it after they've given us so much but they've proven that they're a band that gives more every time and it's quality. I'm excited for what might be ahead.

Overall Rating - 7.5/10

How beautiful indeed! I've always thought of Florence as a masterful songwriter but this record is musically and lyrically brilliant. I was expecting a lot after a 4 year wait and it did not disappoint. To be honest, I liked it so much that I'm going to review the bonus tracks too...


1. Ship To Wreck - This was the second single from the album so to be honest by the time the record was released I'd already overplayed this track quite a bit. Nonetheless, it's a brilliantly written song. As often, heavy imagery, metaphor and obviously Florence's effortlessly ethereal voice.

2. What Kind Of Man - I've already written a lot about this single here but now that I've heard it in the context of the record, I maintain that it isn't the best song on the album but that is definitely just because FATM are that good! This song is just a quality piece amongst diamonds.

3. How Big, How Blue, How Beautiful - Speaking of which - probably my current favourite on the album. This soaring, expanse-filling, captivating song is just all of my views on Florence rolled into one song. It has so many levels to it. I feel like it would've been a great album finisher but either way, whatever the track placement - it shines. The instruments take the lime-light on this song though, each part is so perfectly crafted. If the last couple of minutes don't make your mind swell; stop hearing and listen.

4. Queen Of Peace - Another stand out track in my opinion. Goodness, THE INSTRUMENTS ON THIS ALBUM ARE ON TOP FORM! This is a bit of an old school shout out, I totally hear some J Lo "Waiting For Tonight" and a liiiittle bit of Fleetwood. BIG tune! Definitely one that'll get you out of your seat and that chorus will be stuck in your head for some time.

5. Various Storms & Saints - The build in this song is so immersive, the first time I listened I didn't even realise it had happened until basically the end of the track. A welcome switch in the vibe of the album. This will receive various plays.

6. Delilah - Another upbeat jump in the album. The vocal range on this track, my goodness!! Florence is truly a marvel to behold.

7. Long & Lost - Yes! I'd been waiting for a haunting, ominous type of track. Again, the instrumental is like honey to my ears and actually the backing-vocals really caught my attention in this song. Barely there throughout but when they appeared they were inescapable.

8. Caught - To be honest, when I heard the "ooh ooh ooh's" in the beginning I wasn't sure that I was going to like this song but it definitely grows on you. The chorus is a big part of this track's enhancement in my opinion. Lyrically though, stellar.

9. Third Eye - Continuing with the "oohs", except this time I was really feeling it. The song just feels bigger, more anthemic. Definitely one that I can just imagine being majestic in arenas and festivals. Beautiful, beautiful song.

10.  St Jude - Even though I'd heard this song before the album was released, for some reason it felt renewed in the context of the album. It just sounded clearer to me. I don't even know how to say this without sounding mad but the song sounded crisp. Stand out track for sure.

11. Mother - The guitars! The harmonies! The bass! THIS SONG! To be honest, this entire record. As far as huge choruses go, this album is full of them. The electronics at the end of this song just added to the 101 levels already demonstrated. This album is probably the most musically diverse out of the three in my opinion and this track was a brilliant note to end on.

12. Hiding (Bonus Track) - This had me bopping my head within the first 30 seconds, with barely enough time to realise that the actual album was over. Again Florence demonstrates her vocal acrobatics - great song.

13. Make Up Your Mind (Bonus Track) - Another great song! I thought that I would be able to at least say "ah I can see why this didn't make the final cut" but I honestly can't. Both bonus tracks reach the high standards of a final cut. This just leads me to again reiterate - Florence + The Machine are just that good!!!! Also, humungous shout out for her demo "Which Witch" because WOW!


This album has just cemented the fact that Florence has a voice with many, many stories to tell. I just hope she continues to take us along for the ride. I don't see this falling from the top of my "albums of 2015" list for a while.

Overall Rating - 9/10