NEW RELEASE: Caprisongs - FKA Twigs

 I am a very mixed bag on FKA Twigs. Much of her eclectic electronic style pop does not quite appeal to me. Nevertheless, she has a strong little cult following that certainly makes her worthy of being dived into. Many artist have enjoyed making "mixtapes" during the pandemic, giving it a more raw sound but also allowing for something with less promotion attached. This album is meant to be more R&B and hip-hop inspired. Which is a bit different for her. The project takes on a slightly more mainstream sound than her previous work.

It begins with "Ride the Dragon" which starts off kind of confusing but gets caught into your head. I ended up closing the song deciding I actually like it. 

It switches to "Honda" which is a bit too messy of a hip-hop inspired track for my taste. The flow seems messy and feels like a bad Sean Paul song.

The spoken word introductions are throwing me off, but "Meta Angel" isn't too bad. It just does not stand out much. Typical pop song sound for 2010s Tinashe style pop.

"Tears in the Club" featuring the Weeknd was the lead single from this "mixtape" and the song is nice. Although again, I do not hear anything particularly innovative. 

I like the vibe of "Oh My Love". I also like how thus far it seems like one long album when you play it. It is hard to see where one song starts and another begins. They all have a cohesiveness to them. Although there is not much of a story. It seems a lot like a bunch of tracks thrown together.

We then get "Pamplemousse" and I do not like the vibe of this one at all. The way she breaks up the melody is grating. The spoken word part from the fan is also quite annoying.

We then get a brief interlude before going into the next song, "lightbeamers", which I also enjoy the sound of. It is actually nice to hear how good her vocals can be somewhat without the editing. 

"Papi bones" has more of that bad Sean Paul song vibe that will send me up a wall.

I am starting to feel that the extra collaborations hurt this work more than helped. "Which Way" featuring Dystopia is also quite messy. The electronic beat under it is enough to give you a headache.

"Jealousy" has a better R&B pop beat than the last two and is far more appealing. It does not lyrically stand out though, but can definitely get stuck in your head. 

"Careless" is probably the best one I have heard yet. The song is a good love song along with a great melody. Shows off her vocals well, lacking in some bizarre spoken interlude, and the male vocalist on the track actually compliments her. 

"Minds of Men" as a title doesn't make much sense for the song, but the track is a catchy melody as well. I am used to her being a more innovative artist than this however. The production is stellar, but I am not sure she fits behind it.

We then get another interlude! Before going to "Darjeeling", which has a Jorja Smith feature. It is kind of difficult because I do not feel their voice mesh well together. They are both good in their own areas, but sometimes voices do not blend together.

And...another very pointless interlude. 

The album ends with "Thank You Song", which is pretty emotionally powerful. I think it is the song that will stick with me from the whole endeavor. It still feels enough like her blended with the new modern take on the sound.

Lyrics: 6/10 - There is nothing that is too generic but also very little which stands out. She is usually known for her analogies and wordplay. This album lacks in that.

Music: 4/10 - Disappointed with all the spoken word parts. They take away from the songs. Other songs she does not do that sort of melody as well, and it feels like she is trying to hop on some musical bandwagons rather than stay authentic to her space. 

Overall: 5/10 - I think it is worth a listen, but the album is injured dearly by the general lack of innovative work within it mixed with less lyrically inclined tracks. Generic music can always be forgiven to a degree, but a sheer lack of lyrical prowess or emotional drive leaves this being hidden behind people doing the same thing better.