Off the back of a two year hiatus and a whole lot of emotional ordeals, Kimosabe is back with a scintillating, genre-hopping new album, Faded/Jaded, and he’s brought some friends along for the ride too.
Hinged on his two predominant states of being, Kimosabe takes us full circle on the oscillations of his life recently. Lustrous R&B leads the charge but trades out here and there for pop sensibilities and a dose of the jazzy Afro variety.
A dreamy 21 second intro speech kicks things off on “Flight 6459”, before “Air Miles” expands on the opening sentiments: flutey synth and an air of disconnection. And while “Faded” delivers a polka-dot synth and piano ode to his indulgences, it’s the theme of jaded which really permeates the album.
Laser synth backs up the plea for conviction in “B.M.S.”, ByLwansta comes on board for the Afro-infused daydreams of “Purple”, while “Running in a Dream” which features the richly textured femme vocalism of Lucille Slade indulges in an out-of-reach fantasy.
The fences around his heart are barbed and towering (“Protect Your Heart”) but he also lays bare the emotional warzone on the other side. From the bare-boned vulnerability of “Terrified” and “Ruins”, to the self-deprecating chaos of sound that drives “True Ogre”.
There are glimmers of hope though – shimmering through the lavender haze of “Cottage Pie” – and by the time “Pretend”, featuring Thato Feels, comes around, he’s cutting a gate in that fence to crack his heart open again. The result is a quagmire of emotions, delivered with Kimosabe’s effortlessly expert sonic appeal. Faded/Jaded is a shining jewel in his repertoire.
Feature pic supplied by artist
