We've followed Kwabs ever since his beginnings, and we've always been confident about his growth as a vocalist, simply because he possesses one of the more standout timbres in contemporary soul. Having had a prolific past couple of years with EPs like Wrong Or Right, Pray For Love, and Walk, we are very excited that his long-awaited debut album, Love + War, has arrived. The twelve-track body of work features five fresh pieces alongside those already released, giving us plenty of material to sink our ears into. We're quite familiar with the likes of SOHN providing assistance on a few of Kwabs' efforts, and that only adds to high-caliber delivery put forth on many of these tracks. The album-titled, introductory piece is an ideal one for listeners who've no past knowledge of the UK singer, as jaunty synths complement his majestic deliveries to bring about a typically sumptuous ambiance from the man. Other new works include "My Own" and "Make You Mine", and they have a consistency similar to the aforementioned track, as Kwabs' adhesive-like locutions ride emphatically alongside twinkling, foot-tapping rhythms. Love + War is also quite an exclamation for Kwabs' journey as a whole, and efforts like "Cheating On Me", "Forgiven", "Perfect Ruin", and "Father Figure" work to expose the emotive side of the Londoner with some more vintage soul nuances that are found. Slow, stirring verses of his evolve magnificently on the tracks, and their being accompanied by organ and piano-led backdrops allow for Kwabs' full artistic force to shine and shine well. The album as a whole is one that can be penned down as a leader in such a warping genre as soul, and, as that's the case, you'd be doing yourself a favor if you were to check it all out. Do so over at The Guardian, and pre-order it on iTunes, and check out favorite tracks from the project below. [via The Guardian]
Kwabs