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Flavour of the Month
- Matt McNab
- Mar 16
- 3 min read
A personal review of some of my favourite albums and songs from the last month.
Continuing with the combination of albums and singles, this month features Saya Gray, Little Simz, Cheekface, Doechii and Squid.
Artist: Saya Gray
Album: SAYA
Label: Dirty Hit
Genres: Alternative pop
Before February, I hadn’t heard of Saya Gray, but her 2nd second studio album caught my attention after generating a lot of buzz towards the end of the month. Since then, it has been my go-to album for walking around.
“SAYA” takes elements from many different genres without falling clearly into any of them, a characteristic I often notice in artists with similarly unusual upbringings. I love how Gray employs recognisable sounds but edits them heavily to make them sound new. For example, she removes almost every breath in the vocals and plays around with reverb extensively. She also uses percussive, and synths sounds I’ve never come across before. As enjoyable as the slower, sparser tracks are, I wish there were one or two more bangers on the album to ensure I’m still listening to this in a year’s time.
Artist: Little Simz
Song: Flood
Label: AWAL
Genres: Hip hop
I believe that Little Simz is the best rapper in the UK. She has so much to say, and she is always finding inventive ways to say it. Her album “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” was my album of the year in 2021 and is a testament to her years of hard work.
I absolutely adore “Flood”, the first single of Simz’s new album cycle. The simple beat creates an intense, tribal atmosphere and Obongjayar’s unique vocals complement this perfectly. The words also match the music nicely, as Simz talks about distrust and beating her doubters. I hope to hear more of this gritty tone in the rest of the album.
Artist: Cheekface
Album: Middle Spoon
Label: Independent
Genres: Indie rock
Cheekface is a goofy, satirical, dry indie rock band from L.A. They are especially known for their contagious hooks and Greg Katz’s talk-singing delivery.
The opening line of the album is “Cigarettes can kill you, but if they don't they make you stronger”, making it clear from the outset that the band are a fan of the absurd. That line features on “Living Lo-Fi”, one of the standout tracks on the album with a fantastic chorus. On this album, the band have pushed the boat out by varying the style more than usual. For example, the ska venture on “Rude World” works well and the collaboration with rapper McKinley Dixon on “Military Gum” is refreshing.
If Cheekface’s soul aim is to make their music as catchy as possible, then I think 2024’s “It’s Sorted” was a greater success. However, it’s great to hear the band developing their sound and opening doors for further experiments in future with this album.
Artist: Doechii
Song: Nosebleeds
Label: Top Dawg Entertainment
Genres: Rap, hip hop, R&B
Doechii has taken the world by storm in the last six months. Her 2024 mixtape, “Alligator Bites Never Heal” and the ensuing performances showed that she is a rare multi-talented artist. Furthermore, her clear enunciation means she is even popular with older listeners (even Rick Beato). Make sure you check out her Tiny Desk concert.
Doechii has made it very clear that her last album was a mixtape, but it still earned her rap album of the year at the Grammy’s last month. Almost simultaneously, “Nosebleeds” was released with a Grammy as the cover image. With her stock higher than ever, she dropped a sassy corker with exceptional production which served as her acceptance speech. It’s not just great marketing but a great song in its own right.
Artist: Squid
Album: Cowards
Label: Warp
Genres: Post-punk, experimental rock, art punk, art rock
Squid are a post-punk quintet from Brighton. “Cowards” is their third studio album with barely any rest between releases.
Squid are adept at creating unsettling atmospheres and they have done this on the opening track of every album so far. In this instance, “Crispy Skin” is the culprit. It achieves unease using sharp guitar passages and references to dark, dystopian literature. A similar tone can be heard on several tracks, such as “Blood on the Boulders” and “Fieldworks II”. This contrasts the band’s previous album which was less dissonant and abrasive. Of course, “Cowards” offers some relief in the form of “Building 360” or the album’s title track. The brightness of these songs makes the darker cuts even more jarring. “Cowards” may be Squid’s most diverse and eclectic work yet, exhibiting considerable thematic depth leading to an immersive experience for the listener.
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