Ammar Kalia 

Rosie Lowe: Lover, Other review – freewheeling styles that all add up

The British singer’s third album slinks from bossa nova to breakbeats with aplomb
  
  

Rosie Lowe recorded her latest album on the move.
Rosie Lowe recorded her latest album on the move. Photograph: Gabby Laurent

Over the past decade, singer Rosie Lowe has become one of the most versatile artists in British soul. Possessing a soaring falsetto and raw huskiness, she debuted with the nocturnal atmospherics of 2013’s EP Right Thing before the major-label albums Control (2016) and Yu (2019) saw her touch on synth-pop and funk. Since going independent in 2020, Lowe has come into her own, releasing projects as varied as the luscious R&B EP Now, You Know and a choral-influenced collaboration with Duval Timothy, Son.

Her third album is her most freewheeling and creatively impressive yet. Recorded using a portable rig taken everywhere from Barcelona to Berlin and Deptford, the record’s 15 tracks span sultry bossa nova, thumping breakbeats and ambient synth soundscapes. Lowe’s powerful voice is a comforting constant, sinking into the languorous melodies of Mood to Make Love before layering harmonies on the achingly beautiful a cappella of Don’t Go and tripping over the frenetic beats of Something. Rather than coming across as genre-hopping confusion, Lover, Other is remarkably self-assured and cohesive. Each track has unique production details, such as the warped sampling of In the Morning’s intro. A homegrown rarity with no skips.

Watch the video for Mood to Make Love by Rosie Lowe.
 

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