Wesley Joseph - GLOW

At eight easily-defined tracks, that ‘GLOW’ is not in fact a debut album from Wesley Joseph is up for debate, but one senses the multi-hyphenate - songwriter, producer, film-maker; singer, rapper - would place a greater pressure on requiring a more concrete throughline if that were the case. Instead, the songs here, from the intricate vocal effects on ‘I JUST KNOW HIGHS’ merging voice and instrument seamlessly and disconcertingly, to the more straightforward hip hop of ‘COLD SUMMER’, are given the space to be somewhat scattershot in style, showing off Wesley’s range, both as an artist and of influences. UK garage-style skittish beats sit alongside smooth neo soul vibes on ‘SUGAR DIVE’, while ‘MONSOON’ offers a funky strut alongside Wesley’s soft delivery. Whether an introduction or re-introduction, ‘GLOW’ sets the artist’s stall out in technicolour fashion.