Through her music, Jorja Smith reveals her most intimate thoughts and desires. She is sweet, soulful and free. ‘Lost & Found’, the Walsall native’s 12 track, diary-like debut, fuses jazz, hip-hop, blues and stripped back acoustic takes; it’s entirely understated and unfolds in slow-mo.
Smith, hype swirling and a hatful of industry awards in hand, already appears to have the world at her feet. And that’s a tough place to start. ‘Lost & Found’ could be compared to ‘Frank’, Amy Winehouse’s legendary debut, and it feels like a conversation with the self. The gentle beauty of her words can be affecting and deep; raw and unrefined.
But several weak spots serve to undermine proceedings, and perhaps ‘Lost & Found’ should have been clipped to a seven-track LP.
The One shows how powerful Smith can be when she commits to grandiose production and turns up the drama on her vocals, but when juxtaposed against the meek and meandering February 3rd and Wandering Romance, the arguments for a tighter, more critical edit come to the fore.
On Blue Lights, Smith speaks on police brutality and racism, spotlighting her social conscience and integrity. It’s comfortably the standout track, but this call to arms feels inappropriately placed towards the tail end of proceedings. Smith’s more politically-engaged writing shines in its poetic storytelling, overshadowing her romanticism and words of young heartbreak elsewhere.
Given her industry links - she has already collaborated with Drake, Stormzy, Kali Uchis and others - it’s interesting that Smith gives features to no other artists on ‘Lost & Found’. She simply relies on herself, which is an admirable and powerful statement, even when she stumbles.
Jorja Smith Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Fri July 13 2018 - LONDON Somerset House
Thu July 26 2018 - KINGSTON UPON THAMES Hippodrome
Thu October 04 2018 - NORWICH Norwich Nick Rayns LCR UEA
Fri October 05 2018 - BRISTOL O2 Academy Bristol
Sun October 07 2018 - NEWCASTLE O2 Academy Newcastle
Mon October 08 2018 - GLASGOW O2 Academy Glasgow
Wed October 10 2018 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Thu October 11 2018 - MANCHESTER Albert Hall
Sat October 13 2018 - BIRMINGHAM O2 Academy Birmingham
Sun October 14 2018 - NOTTINGHAM Rock City
Wed October 17 2018 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
Thu October 18 2018 - LONDON O2 Academy Brixton
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