Rebirth

Farai’s debut album - a collaborative project between London based vocalist Farai Bukowski-Bouquet and musician & producer TONE - via Big Dada, documents a process of recovery. ‘Rebirth’ weaves together South East London landmarks, the bare-bones ethos of post-punk, and the experience of being part of the African diaspora, continuing the themes of their 2017 debut EP, ‘Kisswell’ (NON Worldwide). The lyrics of eponymous vocalist, Farai, are coloured by the different cities she’s lived in, including London. Having met TONE via Shop Floor Sessions, recording and writing followed in Hackney, Lewisham and a shared studio with Mica Levi aka Micachu. TONE laid down synthesisers and guitar to Farai's poetry and drums were recorded with Marc Pell from Micachu & The Shapes. The result is Farai’s alternative vision of pop; distinctive and many-sided at once, poised between punk directness and flourishes of soulful warmth.

In the end, it's a very recent raging release from London that blows away the competition. Review by Thomas H Green