Henry’s Music Blog — LP1: an Album Review

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LP1: an Album Review

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There is no story that appeals more to the average citizen more than the “person goes from bottom rung of the corporate ladder to superstardom” cliche. In this regard, FKA Twigs already has adoration locked down and tight. Before her debut EP release in 2012, Twigs, AKA Tahliah Barnett, was mostly known as a backup dancer who had worked for artists like Ed Sheeran and Jessie J, but had been producing music since she was 16, in underground clubs. After two acclaimed EPs released on Bandcamp, her first full length LP, the creatively titled “LP1”, instantly became one of the most lauded of the year, and after listening, it’s not to see why.

As early as the first song, a clear influence is shown that draws from album cuts by R&B artists like Drake, Miguel and Frank Ocean. As opposed to the twinkling synthesizers and dance beats of traditional R&B pop music, this new brand, lovingly titled “Hipster R&B” or “PBR&B,” is more focused on a dreamy, hazier atmosphere, filled with echoing drums and cloudy synth lines that create a sense of being at a party around 3 o’ clock, where almost everyone’s gone home, and you’ve forgotten which pills you took earlier. Think “Marvin’s Room,” and you’re pretty much there.

The main difference between those artists and Twigs is in Twig’s lyrics and voice. Frank Ocean and Drake are very much those guys who just got rejected at the bar and are calling their ex to see if the option’s still there. Twigs, on the other hand, has a voice that lies far more on the ethereal side of things, giving the album a simultaneous sense of closeness and distance, like it’s being whispered into your ear and across an empty factory at the same time. It’s comforting, wrapping around you like a ghost of vapor, but at the same time, it’s just as ready to leave you forever. It’s a powerful voice that works exquisitely with the bass and drums.

The lyrics, meanwhile, also create an excellent mood, boosting that mood of closeness. Unlike every other pop artist right now, Twigs managed to find the perfect balance between sexy and sexual. Miley Cyrus may be overtly sexual, but I doubt many people would find her videos or songs remotely sexy. Twigs, on the other hand, carries it flawlessly, singing about topics that, with any other kind of music, would sound awkward and explicitly open, but collate perfectly with the beat for an intimate experience.

If there’s any flaw with this album, it’s that the music can run together at times. Before, Twig’s only experience with releases had been EPs, and you can feel it here. The songs keep a consistent atmosphere, but sometimes, it just strikes as a little repetitive. Still, as her only album so far, she still has a way to go to show how her style will evolve across every release.

“LP1” is a modern R&B hallmark, one that will stand in 5 years time as a classic of this year, with it’s perfect atmosphere and tight production. It’s not perfect. But as a debut, it’s as close as you’re gonna get. Put it on a mix tape with the Weeknd and The XX, and you’re pretty much set for a lovely cry in bed.

Score: 8.5/10

Best Song: Two Weeks

Worst Song: Preface

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