DEACON

Pitchfork 7.7/10 Josiah Wise’s second album is an eager, effervescent tale of romance, outlining a genealogy that stretches from gospel to the shiny, gossamer R&B of the ’90s and ’00s.

The Line of Best Fit 9/10 Deacon is a rich and elegant ode to love proving serpentwithfeet's untouchable calibre

NME 4/5 Album two softens the more uneasy edges of the Baltimore artist's earlier releases and celebrates Black gay love – with blissful results

Rolling Stone 4/5 Latest from Josiah Wise, aka Serpentwithfeet, is 'Deacon,' which unfolds like a party record for people partying alone in their living room.

DIY 4/5 ‘DEACON’ looks for hope in love, much like in the spirituality that birthed it.

The Independent 5/5 Irish artist David Balfe’s solo debut is a staggering expression of love for a friend, while Death from Above’s latest album isn’t as boundary-pushing as previous efforts

The Forty Five 4/5 Only love and happiness remain on serpentwithfeet’s second album 'DEACON', a carefree R&B affair featuring Sampha, Lil Silva, and Nao.

Under The Radar 7.5/10 On Josiah Wise’s second full length release as serpentwithfeet, conflicts are set aside in a simple celebration of Black queer relationships.

Clash 9/10 serpentwithfeet - born Josiah Wise – made heartbreak his own with debut EP ‘blisters’ and 2018’s full-length ‘soil’,

Loud and Quiet 8/10 On DEACON, Serpentwithfeet exercises his ambition quietly, resulting in a contemporary update of the genuine soul classic

Slant 4/5 The artist scales back the divine aspirations and melodramatic tendencies, resulting in his most secular work to date.

Pop Matters 8/10 Part of why serpentwithfeet's DEACON is so remarkable - aside from its obvious musical merits - is that it's a rare record that highlights Black queer love.

The Guardian 4/5 This poppy, life-affirming ode to gay domestic bliss is a paean to black people ‘living their damn life anyhow’