otm! I was initially a little sad about there being no features on the album—I just want the Burna collab please—but it's pretty rad her label didn't force any off-brand guests on her
here's the studio version of Shine for the curious (it's not v different):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68IqNQE6Iio
― rob, Wednesday, 23 March 2022 18:10 (two years ago) link
Gifted is very sweet. It's a little more laidback than I was expecting, but she's so positive it feels p different from other overly chilled pop (also there is contemporary reggae on here you'd likely never hear elsewhere in the pop megaverse). And the track sequence is like an energy crescendo with "Where I'm From" the clear standout new one for me, and some of the first few tracks sound almost demo-ish. So sort of like w/ the new Rosalía, there's an expectation adjustment wrt to big pop moves and there's something possibly covid-era about its horizons. That said, if you know someone who hasn't heard the singles, this could be mind-blowing.
Tempted to put it on again immediately but I also need to hear the new Rema
― rob, Friday, 25 March 2022 14:10 (two years ago) link
happy koffee day
― STOCK FIST-PUMPER BRAD (BradNelson), Friday, 25 March 2022 14:20 (two years ago) link
i'm hard-wired to think that something that sounds like "lonely" should be corny, but no, i'm floored. what a song.
― roflrofl fight (voodoo chili), Friday, 25 March 2022 15:06 (two years ago) link
"where i'm from," goddamn
― roflrofl fight (voodoo chili), Friday, 25 March 2022 15:13 (two years ago) link
just started this again and I wish Defend was a full track
― rob, Friday, 25 March 2022 15:15 (two years ago) link
worth noting Where I'm From is one of the several she has sole producer credit on
― rob, Friday, 25 March 2022 15:16 (two years ago) link
I love Koffee, but on first listen this sounds a little too geared towards the early hours open air festival stage set. I love the second half with all the already released hits - but so far the first half seems to miss a little bit of edge. I can see myself warming to it though.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 25 March 2022 22:24 (two years ago) link
Where I’m From is basically what I was hoping for more of.
― human and working on getting beer (longneck), Friday, 25 March 2022 22:28 (two years ago) link
this is quite good but a little slight compared to what i would have expected for her proper debut album
― ufo, Saturday, 26 March 2022 00:34 (two years ago) link
I need to listen a few more times but it brings me no joy to agree
― i cannot help if you made yourself not funny (forksclovetofu), Saturday, 26 March 2022 06:39 (two years ago) link
That's a fair take; it's only about 20 minutes of new music.
My disappointment is mitigated by otherwise being impressed with how methodically she has developed her career. But I can't deny it's a bummer we didn't get a whole set that sounded like Where I'm From, West Indies, Lockdown etc.
― rob, Saturday, 26 March 2022 14:45 (two years ago) link
I hear what you all mean by "slight," but tbh I love the album. I listened to it like 4 times in a row last night. I rolled my eyes the first time at the "Redemption Song" sample in the intro, but she makes it work musically and also I respect it as a sign of her ambitions — she wants to break big, and I'll be happy for her if she does. Overall I think it's basically delightful, everything flows nicely from one track to the next.
― a man often referred to in the news media as the Duke of Saxony (tipsy mothra), Wednesday, 30 March 2022 18:11 (two years ago) link
yeah this is better than I gave it credit for on day one (didn't help that it was competing for my attention with the maximalist new Rema). There's something subtly sophisticated about how the production creates space(s) for her voice, but does so differently on every new track; the title track is particularly good at this but I hear it on Runaway and Where I'm From too. Very much agree about the flow too
one thing: if you are surprised to find yourself loving "Lonely" you should probably check out Chronixx if you haven't before :)
― rob, Wednesday, 30 March 2022 18:44 (two years ago) link
Being bedridden sick was probably not the best way to enjoy Koffee but I couldn't shake off the feeling that the last three previously released songs are still the strongest, followed by the two immediately before it. The impact of the album is completely overshadowed by the impact that the singles and EPs had.
― Nabozo, Thursday, 31 March 2022 10:16 (two years ago) link
Oh my wife is right, that is her singing "fiesta forever" (Lionel Richie quote) in the great song "West Indies." "Where I'm From" and "Locked Down" and a bunch of others are faves of mine also. Her best cuts have a pop catchiness but with rhythmic power that's not watered down.
― curmudgeon, Thursday, 14 April 2022 03:45 (two years ago) link