Kali Uchis - Isolation ALBUM REVIEW

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Tyler, the Creator is one of my favorite artists of all time. Sure, he might’ve had a rough start, but his past two albums Flower Boy and IGOR are some of my favorite albums ever. For this, though, we gotta go back to 2015. Tyler’s third studio album, the polarizing Cherry Bomb, has dropped, and on a couple different songs, there’s one artist featured named Kali Uchis. I hadn’t known who she was, and her performances struck me as a little experimental, but very forward. She was featured again on Flower Boy, and I was hooked. She also appeared on Gorillaz’s comeback record Humanz, but we don’t really talk about that album. Either way, her debut album Isolation was right around the corner, and I ended up listening to it. So, as I relistened to the album for this review, did Isolation age as well as everyone thinks it does? Let’s get into it and find out!

Isolation is an R&B album with neo-soul, bossa nova, reggaeton, hip-hop, funk, and bedroom pop influences. Now, a word that I can describe Isolation as is sexy. There are so many different genres that are blended together in this record, it’s so impressive. There’s also a heavy Amy Winehouse vibe I get from listening to this album, and that’s played out even more on some doo-wop inspired instrumentals, especially “Flight 22.” Now, there are also some pretty great features. The previously mentioned Tyler, the Creator and Gorillaz are both on Isolation, and so are Thundercat, Steve Lacy, Jorja Smith, BIA, and funk legend Bootsy Collins. The only feature I wasn’t so hot on was Reykon, and that’s just personal preference. It just doesn’t vibe with me. The production is pretty hypnotic and even a little sleepy, but those are both positive. Isolation is quite a beautiful album, and while the writing is a little shoddy at points, it makes up for it for its replayability.


I just gotta say that Isolation is one of my favorite debut albums of all time. To use the Amy Winehouse allegory again, Isolation is Kali Uchis’s Frank. There’s so much potential in Kali, and I think she knows that. I can’t believe she isn’t a worldwide star yet, and as great as Isolation is, she still has her Back in Black in her.


8/10


Stream Isolation here

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