Lungelo Manzi has an exceptional talent for telling stories through the unique lens of his varied sonic parameters. He weaves in the influence of hip-hop, R&B, jazz, soul and indie to create soundscapes that defy the scene he’s navigating, and his latest album, ADULTING ANONYMOUS, takes its cues from the gruelling experience that is one’s twenties.
Born in the aftermath of a personal reset thanks to the pandemic, the album expertly unpacks the trials and tribulations of young adulthood, taking a cool, calm look at the personal hurdles he’s faced. It serves as a place to consider things, which it all becomes a little too much.
The overarching sound is ambient and gorgeously restrained. Broad, synth-flecked soundscapes give way to thudding minimalism in turn, as Manzi waxes poetic with artful prose. “SAFE SPACE – Side B” and “SETTLE IN” open things with delicate considerations on hard-earned comfort in the arms of another. “I NEED YOU” navigates the dichotomy of choosing love over career and vice versa, and “LIKE AMY” hones in on taking responsibility for your own mental health.
Themes of personal crisis and the need to recalibrate surface in “RIGHT NOW” and “BALANCE”, while love takes to the fore in the sultry strains of “DELICATE” and the visceral “RHYTHM WITH YOU”.
The offering is dexterously explored, deeply personal narrative of life in the turbulent uncertainty of adulthood, concluding in the the clarion call to push on through that is “UZOPHUMELELA”, driving home the message that in spite of it all, we keep on living as best we can.
Feature pic supplied by artist
