SOUND JUDGEMENT

THE LATEST ALBUM RELEASES RATED AND REVIEWED

SLIP OF THE TONGUE

SINCE starting out in 2002, solid songwriting and musicianship has made Irish singer/songwriter Imelda May a darling of tastemakers like Jools Holland.

May’s path has been one of low-key artistry rather than pop success. It’s a surprise, then, that it has taken her so long to release a collection of her poetry, set here against a variety of appropriate aural backdrops, including birdsong, ambience and gentle jazz.

These are songs May tells to her friends and family, over a dinner or a drink, in the great story-telling tradition of Ireland. They are lively, evocative and extremely funny.

It’s a pleasure to hear her stories come to life.

DISSIMULATION

YOUTUBE star KSI – real name Olajide ‘JJ’ Olatunji – has released a debut solo album that will not only grab a few slots in the singles charts, but cement his place as a force to be reckoned with in the music world.

Dissimulation, has popular tracks like Houdini, which features British rappers Swarmz and Tion Wayne, and has already been a hit in the UK. KSI (it stands for Knowledge, Strength, Integrity) has also collaborated with the likes of Offset, Rick Ross and Lil Pump.

The 26-year-old doesn’t hold back in his lyrics and is out to prove the naysayers wrong – a job he does well.

ITALIAN ICE

NICOLE ATKINS describes Italian Ice, her fifth studio album, as “an acid trip through my record collection”. She couldn’t be more right.

The American songstress, from New Jersey, draws on myriad influences for a record that evokes her home state, as well as the soulful sound of the place it was recorded: Muscle Shoals studio in Alabama.

Italian Ice is named after her favourite summer treat growing up in Asbury Park, as well as an alter ego she’s taken on while shooting dice. The album displays the same playful attitude and reflects an artist experimenting while staying true to their roots.