LORAINE JAMES 'Reflection'

Made during summer 2020, LORAINE JAMES’ second Hyperdub album, ‘Reflection’, is a turbulent expression of inner-space, laid out in unflinching honesty, offering gentle empathy and bitter-sweet hope. ‘Reflection’ further develops a unique pop sensibility realized on last year’s ‘Nothing EP’, while tones of Drill and R&B seep through into this collection too. In contrast to the brash splashes of 2019’s ‘For You And I’ LP and the grimey anger of ‘Nothing’, ‘Reflection’ is pared-down and confident, taking the listener through how last year felt as a young black queer woman in a world that has suddenly stopped moving, the arc of the album peppered with Loraine's diaristic confessions. Traveling effortlessly from gentle pop-trap to downcast drill, from Drexciyan techno glide to airy R&B, ‘Reflection’ is a brave step forward for a unique and creative 21st-century musician.