The New Zealand Herald

NAO

- George Fenwick

Saturn

Label: Little Tokyo Verdict: A more restrained version of Nao’s vision that doesn’t lose any of the thrill

IT’S HARD to think of anything Nao could do wrong.

She was easily one of the strongest acts at Auckland’s Laneway Festival in 2017, when her debut For All We Know was still on high rotate.

Two years after that record, she’s back with

Saturn, which distils her sound where FAWK favoured explosive highs.

Saturn is the stronger work as a result; it marks considerab­le growth for Nao’s artistry, more considered in its restraint and less-is-more approach.

Fans of Nao’s distinctly honeyed voice will be pleased to hear it’s still her strongest tool on Saturn.

The production is mostly rooted in RnB, but pulls from elements of pop, funk and soul; Nao’s voice is the cement that brings each element together. Early track Make It Out

Alive takes Pharrellin­spired production and pours a rich amount of reverb and soft synths inside, with an irresistib­ly hooky chorus that makes being stuck in a relationsh­ip rut sound enticing.

Bouncy title track Saturn offers a classic-pop, slowtempo duet for Nao and Kwabs; it rivals H.E.R and Daniel Caesar’s incredible two-hander Best Part.

Those after the dancefloor bops from

FAWK will still find plenty to love here — the groovy, bass-infused Gabriel shares DNA with early single Bad Blood, while

Orbit offers Nao another emotional centrepiec­e to show off her lyrical prowess and the sensitivit­y she displayed in her early work. Saturn wins with its ability to showcase all of Nao’s talents without resorting to flashiness — without losing any of her irresistib­le vibrant colours in the process.

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