The follow-up to the 2017 Mercury Prize-nominated
Not Waving, But Drowning -- titled after Stevie Smith's like-titled poem -- is a second pensive set from
Loyle Carner. It starts with the conversational rapper addressing his mother as he prepares to move out of their home and in with his partner, finishes with his mother reciting a poem she wrote in response, and elsewhere stays within a mode that is intensely reflective with mellow, soft-focus productions. One key difference is the reduced role of Rebel Kleff, credited on only one track. The producer is the subject of "Krispy," where
Carner vulnerably laments an increased distance between himself and his longtime friend and collaborator, likening it to the end of a marriage before signing off with "I love you, G." On "Looking Back," he traces his parents' bloodlines to consider his mixed race heritage, dumbfounded by the thought that his "great-grandfather could have owned the other one."
Carner still scarcely projects his voice, keeping it "low-key like a baritone," sometimes so quiet that a listener across the table might have to lean in to understand.
Yesterday's Gone collaborators Kwes,
Tom Misch, and Dan Parry return, while new foil
Jordan Rakei is involved with six tracks. All the supporting work is understated and studious, ideally compatible with
Carner's substantive ruminations. ~ Andy Kellman