Little Simz, GREY Area, Album Review
Little Simz
GREY Area
Album Review
The first I had heard of UK rap artist Little Simz was when she was announced as the support act for a live show from Gorillaz at The Brighton Centre back in late 2017. That being said, I was interested enough that I ended up listening to and enjoying her 2016 record Stillness in Wonderland as well as the Gorillaz cut that she features on titled "Garage Palace". But with 2019 on the horizon, Little Simz heralded the coming of a new record with a handful of teaser tracks which presented a far more fleshed-out sound and seemed extremely promising. And now that this latest record GREY Area is finally here, I must say than it is even better than I expected.
The whole album carries through the fleshed-out sound I mentioned earlier when looking back on the teaser tracks. Its far more of a gritty, reflective and thought provoking album than the more colourful Stillness in Wonderland, which I feel is definitely a step in the right direction as it offers a lot more insight into Little Simz as a human being rather than a high-flying superstar and that way I felt that the album connected with me a lot more.
Production wise, this album absolutely excels! Each track has its own unique instrumental behind it. However, each of these could also be compared aesthetically to another artist which I feel ticks the familiarity and accessibility boxes. A few examples include the theatrical and flashy production of this albums first track "Offense" which sounds like something from Anderson .Paaks Oxnard, the ambient "Sherbert Sunset" which has a hint of King Krule vibes to it and the final track "Flowers" which has a triumphant and grand production similar to Buddy's Harlan & Alondra.
In fact, I don't really think I have anything bad to say about any of the tracks. I do however have a lot to rave about. All four teaser tracks (Especially "Selfish") are brilliant and did a great job of promoting the album. and while I saved listening to "Offence" and "Boss" for the full album, it was awesome to listen to once I did. The final teaser track to talk about "101 FM" serves a good purpose for the album in which its more light-hearted aesthetic makes for a nice departure from all of the grittiness.
It was very hard for me to pick a favourite track on this as all of them have something going for them. At the moment, I would say that it would possibly be between "Offence" and "Sherbert Sunset". One is a headstrong, flashy and even at times experimental start to this fantastic record and the other is a beautiful and heartfelt piece that really ties up the albums overall theme.
I also have to give a shoutout for "Venom" for its brilliant, fast-paced bars which put Eminem to shame. It clear to see which artist out of the two made the better song of this name.
Overall, I absolutely loved listening to this spectacular record which I truly see as the magnum opus for Little Simz. If you're the type to sneer at UK rap, you clearly haven't given this album a listen yet. I may even go as far to say that GREY Area by Little Simz might just be my favourite album of 2019 so far. I really rate this album.
Thank you for reading.
Booth Boy
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