Genesis Owusu - STRUGGLER

Where most artists credit other musicians as their inspiration, Genesis Owusu has listed two seminal pieces of literature – Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Beckett’s Waiting for Godot – as the fuel for ‘STRUGGLER’. This isn’t surprising when listening to the album’s tale of a nihilistic roach, but what is striking is the diversity of its sonic palette. ‘STRUGGLER’ relies a lot on the textures of rock, channeling modern goths Molchat Doma on ‘The Roach’ or the post punk of Shame on ‘Balthazar’, but this is all punctuated by production that leans more electronic, and often minimalistic – take ‘Leaving the Light’, which blends the fun bounce of Lynks with the sinister air of Sleaford Mods. There’s a healthy lineage of artists that cast the same juxtaposition, be it Talking Heads, Outkast or Gorillaz, and as with them ‘STRUGGLER’ manages to explore exciting new ground while being rooted in danceable, fun grooves. There’s a little less edge than on debut ‘Smiling With No Teeth’, but a softer lens offers more variety, and Genesis Owusu sails the spectrum of human experience with ease to make something just as weighty as the literature that inspired it.