Cultivating an air of mystery used to be a hell of a lot easier than it is now. To do so these days takes time, patience and an appreciation of the long game, not to mention faith in your record to underpin it. ‘LP1’, FKA Twigs’ full-length debut, has bubbled up in recent months through a potent brew of hype and ambiguity, becoming a journo byword for everything a little weird and exciting. And has it delivered on that promise? Yes, but perhaps not in the manner we initially expected it to.
‘LP1’ is everything that so many talked-up records aren’t: strange, difficult and deliberately complex. There’s a beguiling beauty to Tahliah Barnett’s falsetto-led songs and many layers of lyrical symbolism to unpick and understand.
Fusing the otherworldly sensuality of Björk with scattered beats that could belong to Portishead or Massive Attack, the atmosphere is often also one of Alice In Wonderland confusion and even an air of menace.
Lights On speaks of trust and secrets as much as sex and, throughout, Barnett’s libidinous music is made whole by the originality with which she approaches the subject. The lyric sheet is littered with Cronenberg-like mouths and teeth but also hard truths, with Barnett discussing the intricacies of sex and relationships in unashamedly frank terms.
“You know I’d put you first. I can fuck you better than her,” she sings on Two Weeks, just as Video Girl details her frustration with being recognised from her former career as a backup dancer. ‘LP1’ constantly prompts the listener to look deeper, asking questions rather than providing easy answers. That’s rare in any pop record.
The melodies slowly blossom, unfurling across beats that largely refuse to conform. The record’s production credits list Dev Hynes, Sampha, Paul Epworth and Emile Haynie as contributors, but it’s clear that their service was to Barnett's vision of the whole rather than individual songs. Never does ‘LP1’ lose track of the big picture. It’s a remarkable, completely assured debut.
FKA Twigs Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu October 02 2014 - BRIGHTON Dome
Fri October 03 2014 - BIRMINGHAM Library, Institute
Sat October 04 2014 - MANCHESTER Royal Northern College of Music
Wed October 08 2014 - LONDON Hackney Empire
Thu October 09 2014 - BRISTOL Trinity
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