★★★★
Smooth, sensual and brimming with attitude: these are just the first three thoughts that spring to mind about this record.
With a voice that skates between Lauryn Hill, Amy Winehouse and Erykah Badu, Harleighblu’s combination of hip hop and electronic soul breathes a welcome breath of authenticity into the pop world.
But her voice is just a piece of this puzzle. Production from the likes of J-Felix, Audio Sparks and Brother Mike, among others, provides the bars that match Harleighblu’s feisty vocal temperament, but also shine a light on her many sides. Where the opening track ‘Real Good’ is a plodding and bulky track with Spectrasoul’s clunky, echoing, percussive production, it’s followed by far simpler funk undertones on ‘MMM’ courtesy Dr. Zygote’s understated touch.
The album continues in this contrasting motion, with other standout tracks including ‘I’ (featuring Lost Midas), which harbours beautiful vocal harmonies and a more subdued performance from Harleighblu. ‘Tell ’Em’ shows off soulful production, with a crystal clear amalgamation of a funky bassline and electronic glitches and flourishes.
Futurespective may not be an overly flowing piece of work, but it definitely showcases the diverse talents of a star on the rise.
Harleighblu’sFuturespectiveis available now through Tru Thoughts.
