Isolation is the star-studded debut record from singer/songwriter, Kali Uchis. The 15 track, 46 minute record is the artist’s first collected work of music since her 2015 EP. In the three years since that EP, it seems like she’s been moving in silence plotting her return.
The supporting cast on the record is a who’s who of the music world. Legendary bassist Bootsy Collins and rapper Tyler, The Creator appear on “After the Storm,” while up and comer Jorja Smith on “Tyrant,” and international artist Reykon pop up on the only all Spanish track, “Nuestro Planeta.”
The album art itself is quintessential Kali Uchis — visual, bold, and aesthetically pleasing. The jewel tones and textures in photo are far from the sweet but suggestive Barbie brand and pastel pink clouds that hedge her first project, Por Vida.
Isolation moves into bass-heavy world with tunes like “Miami.” In this song, Uchis shares feelings of wanting more from life — wanting to be be more than a pretty video girl, wanting to be her own hustler. She also talks about living in the fast lane — a re-occuring theme in this album and in her art (it’s very reminiscent of a Lana Del Rey song).
Tunes like “Your Teeth In My Neck” and “In My Dreams” explore more upbeat traditional pop sounds with contemporary electronic and R&B influences respectively. However, the two interludes on the record fall flat for me. They lack the experimental nature that is displayed throughout the album and don’t stand out or add anything spectacular. Frankly, they interrupt the roll of the album.
“Tyrant” featuring Jorja Smith was the first single released from this project, the song is beautiful and showcases Uchis’ classic breathy and raspy vocals but it was Smith’s verse that really stole the show.
Kali Uchis has been working at her craft for a very long time and it does come through in this album. Uchis genre bends nearly every track and tells a story in her music. The experimentation showcased is exciting but the album lacks a cohesion and the concept behind Isolation may be getting lost behind all these fancy features and producers.
Isolation rating: 5/10
-Patsy Thayieng
