Kali Uchis may well possess one of the keenest new intellects in pop. Her debut album, ‘Isolation’, is a veritable smorgasbord of chart joy, combining funk and soul revivalism, synth-pop and Latin tropicana with a stunning degree of cogency and verve.
One reason for that success is the strength and versatility of her vocals. Much has been made of releases by Kelela, Camila Cabello and Dua Lipa over the past 18 months, but none of these artists have demonstrated the capacity to switch genres so consistently and skilfully.
Another impressive element of ‘Isolation’ is the quality and imagination of the collaborations. After the Storm features Tyler, The Creator and Bootsy Collins to fine effect, using the funk legend's distinctively saucy drawl alongside smoky slow-jam rhythms and bass.
Though it’s actually one of the blander tracks here, it does serve to glue the album's varying styles together.
A stronger individual song is Tyrant, a held-back cumbia number that features rising UK R&B star Jorja Smith on guest vocals. It’s a terse dancehall cut with a brilliantly direct opening lyric: “All I hear is sirens / In a world so violent / Would you be a tyrant / If I gave you power?”
Elsewhere, there are intriguing collaborations with Colombian reggaeton superstar Reykon (on Nuestro Planeta) and Gorillaz (on In My Dreams). Damon Albarn actually enlisted Uchis on the last Gorillaz record, ‘Humanz’, and while their track is one of the most surreal and incongruous on ‘Isolation’, it adds humour and lightness to an album that might otherwise intimidate. Hugely impressive.
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