From Nairobi to the UK, mau’s cultural influence and commitment to creative music shines beautifully throughout this original and organic new album SOFT STEPS.
Boldly unique but also melodically inviting and quite intoxicating in its poetry and passion, SOFT STEPS begins with the world-music flavours and genre-fusion of Fly, somewhat jazz-kissed but with a twist of hand drums and soulful RnB meandering between sections.
It’s a brilliant starting track, musically impressive and free-flowing in a manner that very few compositions are, and in some ways it feels like an eclectic album-like journey in and of itself. And we’re less than three minutes in.
The project continues in this manner, original melodies and instruments backing almost adlib-style vocal progressions that feel intimate and honest in their humility and heart combined. Remind(h)er is more familiar and relevant in terms of the current scene, then we lean into the thoughtful depths of conscious rap, for Crooked.
Always mau keeps us on our toes, engaged but unable to predict where things will go next. That’s the joy of this album, it’s colourful and fun, but it’s also soulful and purposeful – quiet and contemplative, modest but effective in setting the mood. Absolutely an album worth spending some time with this season.
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