Music Review: FKA Twigs, EP2
Somethingyousaid.com’s Ty Tong reviews the newest offering from Gloucestershire’s FKA Twigs:
If Massive Attack and The Weeknd had a music baby, it would sound like FKA Twigs. I will nod and tap my fingers to a good beat, but FKA Twigs’ EP2 might have you swaying to the music like a charmed snake. The deep pulses in combination with layered effects and the impressive vocal range of FKA Twigs creates a trance-like ambiance. The pace is slow and each song maintains a key theme but those themes frequently morph, building and flowing from one motif to the next through effects or varied speeds. The lack of formal structure to the songs gives it a fluidity that makes you wonder where the song will take you next.
In “How’s That” chains rattle and in the background there’s a staccato of discordant accents that sounds like a ping pong ball being hit and dropped. The effect puts the listener off balance because the sound of the ball dropping is out of sync with the music but it creates a fascinating sense of physical space between your headphones.
Similarly, “Water Me” has several different paces that play with your sense of space and motion like waves. The lyrics are sparse and direct. The line, “Water me, I promise I can grow tall when making love is free,” and that honesty in words allows for the music to help those words speak volumes. The vocals are layered with one voice in higher register as if it were a shadow to the singer, ruminating on the fact that speaker feels rejected from her lover. The last moment of the song is jarring yet artistically powerful as it cuts off to a loud fuzz, like the sound of a disconnected TV as if the speaker has been forcefully cut off.
In “Ultraviolet” the vocals take centre stage and then melt, becoming a disembodied voice where you can’t discern what’s being said. This shifts focus on to the extended high pitched notes that ring out like horns blowing as if that would be what those ultraviolet rays of light could sound like.
“Papi Pacify” stood out on the EP because it begins tentatively before a seductive heavy bass accent captivates the listener. This hypnotic inflection is reminiscent of “Wicked Games” by The Weeknd and even when the song is over, the music lingers in your head. The song showcases Twigs’ ability to control and produce intriguing vocal melodies with the modulating cadences of the song. I had it on repeat for the last few days and have yet to tire of it.
Give it a go, it’s the perfect soundtrack for lounging in a bubble bath after a long day.
FKA Twigs’ EP2 was released this month and is available to buy here. Check out FKA Twigs on Twitter and Facebook.
Review by Ty Tong
