Review: FKA Twigs – EP2

A lot of the music that has been released throughout 2013 has been a nostalgic reinterpretation of sounds presented in earlier decades. Some bands and artists appear to obsessed with a different time period and proceed to mimic their influences, while others choose to bring a modern flavor to a classic sound. This is what UK singer FKA Twigs does on her new EP, aptly titled EP2. On this short collection of tracks, Twigs lays ethereal vocals over airy and atmospheric production provided by Arca. What we manage to get is an EP inspired by the likes of Tricky and Massive Attack, with the production chops of some R&B contemporaries such as The Weeknd.

The first track off of the EP, “How’s That, is an eerie yet meticulously produced cut that has a lot of interesting sounds and textures going on in the mix. Right off of the bat, it is easy to tell that Twigs is inspired by albums such as Mezzanine and Maxinquaye. However, instead of just rehashing old sounds, she uncovers ways to reinvent.

This method works well throughout the entire EP, with “Papi Pacify drawing a clear influence from The Weeknd’s material and “Water Me having the same structure as the first track. Although it is clear that the production is real crisp and all of the sounds come through with a gleaming ostentation, I do not believe that these two tracks were executed as well as “How’s That. They did not seem as urgent (a lot of reverb on the vocals did not help as well. The last song on the EP, “Ultraviolent, stays true to it’s title, with bright, shimmering synth swells and cluttering hi-hats.

While EP2 may not be perfect, it is enjoyable within the context that FKA Twigs is going for. It is clear that she has the ability to sing rather well; unfortunately, effects and thick reverb laid on the vocals obscures too much at certain points, as opposed to actually adding depth. She has the right ideas and hopefully as she advances in her career, she will make the proper decisions in the shaping of her craft, so that she herself may yield a classic such as Maxinquaye.

Favorite Track: “How’s That
Least Favorite Track: “Water Me