Syd - Beard

“I’ve been chasing these demons for miles / Just to get some kind of rush,” sings Syd over rich piano keys on the suave ‘Always Be Mine’. It’s an example of the confessional soul paramount to third album ‘Beard’, which sees her reckon with what she’s made of; a process of finding confidence through admissions of fragility, over an intelligently-curated catalogue of alternative R&B and neo-soul.

‘Beard’, a title inspired by the “peach fuzz” on her upper lip, is a vibrant self-portraiture of a woman facing herself: body, mind, and her place in romance and culture. Positioned as Syd’s ‘coming-of-age’ record, it is, as such, self-assured in its conclusions. “They might think I’m crazy / But I don’t care, baby,” she sings on the tender and sizzling bossa nova cut ‘My Love’ - as much an example as any of the record’s passion, fragility and determined self-acceptance. Throughout, Syd reaffirms her command of contemporary-to-future R&B, curating a sonic palette of earthy colour and warm leathers, with topline musings on desire and love. There’s restraint to this assertion, though - with purpose, she dips sparsely into a flare for innovation, such as on the sultry ‘Bad Guys’, with its intricate and metallic outro, or with ‘Do Better’’s darkly arid synth distortions, which leave room for soul to take the front seat. Ultimately, ’Beard’ is a statement of maturity.