Album Review
slowthai - UGLY
5 StarsA beautiful thing to behold.
Historically, when a beloved artist has announced something of a swerve in direction, the response from long-term fans is split. When Alex Turner opted to open the lounge door into Arctic Monkeys’ suave era, a decent portion of indie diehards checked out of the Tranquility Base Hotel; when Bob Dylan dared plug in his guitar for the first time, he was famously booed by supporters who hadn’t signed up for this sort of newfangled tomfoolery. And though Northampton boy slowthai has always had a punk side to him - his pair of collabs with Mura Masa (2018’s ‘Doorman’ and the following year’s ‘Deal Wiv It’) and Gorillaz team-up ‘Momentary Bliss’ providing some of his most memorable moments - until now he’s been largely associated with the hip hop world.
In the run up to third LP ‘UGLY’, however, Ty has been heralding
the release as his ‘alternative’ album. “This album was me
trying to emulate the spirit of the brotherhood ethos that bands
have,” he declared upon its announcement. ‘UGLY’’s cast of
co-conspirators cement the idea: where 2021 predecessor
‘Tyron’ featured the likes of Skepta, A$AP Rocky and Deb
Never, ‘UGLY’ brings in Fontaines DC, Jockstrap’s Taylor Skye
and Beabadoobee guitarist Jacob Bugden. If there was any
last question over slowthai’s intent, omnipresent producer and
Speedy Wunderground head honcho Dan Carey is helming the
desk.
Clearly, it’s an itch the musician has been wanting to scratch but, more than that, his new embrace of throbbing punk bile and melodic melancholy is the perfect vehicle for an album rooted in neuroses and introspection. Undoubtedly, the delivery might not be all his old fans’ cup of tea, but ‘UGLY’ arrives as slowthai’s most exploratory, varied and exciting body of work yet. Opening with the juddering electronic panic attack of ‘Yum’ - all heavy breathing, stream-of-consciousness lyrics about therapy and pulsing, PVA-like beats - it sets the scene for an album of bold choices. ‘Fuck It Puppet’ is a paranoid, twitchy conversation with the devil on his shoulder and ‘Wotz Funny’ comes on like ‘I Wanna Be Your Dog’ 2.0, whereas ‘Falling’ is an epic slowburn of catharsis; ‘Never Again’, meanwhile, begins with the crackled croon of Ethan P Flynn before Ty reflects on the jarring 180-turn his life has taken like a next-gen Mike Skinner.
Indeed, if there’s a holy trinity of influences that seem to preside over ‘UGLY’, it’s Skinner, Ty’s pal Damon Albarn and the people’s poet Jamie T. ‘Feel Good’’s sing-song irony feels like something Gorillaz would get animated about, while the album’s Fontaines- featuring title track builds the band’s shoegazey guitars around meditative, lyrically-dextrous verses and a pained howl of a climax. But really, slowthai’s newest is the work of an artist clearly more excited than ever about what he himself can do now he’s booted his own doors wide open. ‘UGLY’ is a beautiful thing to behold.
Read More
slowthai announces 2023 UK/EU tour
He’ll be supported by Nia Archives and Sainté.
24th February 2023, 12:00am
slowthai, Central Cee, Perfume Genius and more to play Pohoda Festival 2023
Shygirl and Suzanne Vega are also among the new names announced.
9th February 2023, 12:00am
slowthai releases new track ‘Feel Good’
His third album ‘UGLY’ lands next month.
8th February 2023, 12:00am
Tracks: slowthai, Zara Larsson, Willie J Healey and more
The biggest and best of this week's new music.
27th January 2023, 12:00am
With Bob Vylan, St Vincent, girl in red, Lizzy McAlpine and more.