Mura Masa- demon time- track by track
We check out each track of the new Mura Masa album.
Date published: 16th Sep 2022
Mura Masa is back with his latest album demon time, which features a whole host of collaborators from Slowthai to Shygirl. His fifth album to date, the songwriter/producer has always existed on the fringes of pop music, always willing to experiment and bringing on board a wide range of voices to bring his songs to life.
demon time (feat Bayli)
Immediately we're drawn in by the repetitive bars of Bayli, as she embodies a sinister persona throughout the track. Breaking out into the verses, the production surrounding it is a mixture of cars revving, stuttering, glitching beats and all kinds of other effects going on. There's nothing particularly cohesive about the track though, it's a confusing choice for an opening track.
bbycakes (with Lil Uzi Vert, Pinkpantheress and Shygirl)
Nicking the hook from Babycakes by 3 Of a Kind, we get the glitchy electronic version of a corny classic. Lil Uzi Vert takes over and his verses are the highlight of the song, he has the kind of voice that will fit into pretty much anything. There are little points here for originality though and the backing track is a bit of a chaotic mess.
The light and timid vocals of PinkPantheress fit into the stuttering rhythm perfectly.
slomo (with Tohji & Midas The Jagaban)
Starting with a fuzzed-out wave of electronic distortion, we are suddenly attacked in all directions by strobe light synth. Mura Masa seems to be pulling from the recent waves of Hyperpop by embodying artists such as 100 Gecs. The production just seems to have a "throw it all in" attitude. It isn't an easy listen at all, in going for all-out excitement it has often felt like too much all at once so far.
2gether
A rare moment for Masa to stand on his own, this is the most emotional moment on the album so far. His vocals take front and centre accompanied by acoustic guitar and underpinned by a corny electronic voice. Sweltering into an explosion of sound, it doesn't quite land an impact.
up all week (with Slowthai)
Collaborating with Slowthai again, the pair have produced some brilliant work together before and this is certainly a highlight of the album so far. It's all thanks to the rapper's uniquely accented vocals and natural affinity for finding brilliant rhythms. he's accompanied brilliantly by a humming beat and the infrequent ring of a phone dial.
Prada (i like it) (With LEILAH)
One of the main problems here is that the songs are far too short to really get going. However, in little time, LEILAH makes her mark on the album with a swaggering and confident vocal performance. There isn't much substance to what she's saying but it's entertaining nonetheless.
hollaback bitch (with Shygirl and Channel Tres)
There's not much to say here other than the production from Masa is just a bit flat, it allows Shygirl's verses to go by with little excitement around it. Picking up about halfway through by introducing a bit of trumpet and switching up the rhythm, it's an improvement but still nothing special.
blessing me (with Pa Salieu & Skillibeng)
Again, another song that feels like it has ended before it has even started. The vocal blend here is mildly irritating, with Pa Salieu's being far the better, so the choice to pair him with Skillibeng comes across as a bit odd. Overall, it isn't a memorable song at all.
tonot (with Isabella Lovestory)
The accordion was not what was next on the bingo card but here we are. Now entering Latin territory, it's another turn for what is a wildly inconsistent album. Now this, is a truly bad song and it does Isabella Lovestory a huge disservice with its weak instrumentals.
e-motions (with Erika de Casier)
The strings on this track feel perfect and accompany Erika De Casier beautifully. A tender track that you can feel in Casier's performance, it's the first song that you feel the desired effect of making you feel something actually works.
blush (with LEILAH)
Again, LAILAH comes through with an impressive vocal performance. The surrounding elements on the track are fine, there are plenty of intriguing sound effects but nothing too eye-catching. It's a pretty uninspired ending in truth.
In summary, the new Mura Masa album is a bit of a confusing mess. There's definitely a case of too much all at once, as the amount of collaborators means that whilst there's a diverse range of voices, there's not enough of a cohesive identity throughout the album. Whilst he embraces hyper pop, most of the production elements feel thrown together and are often the worst part of any given track. This album is definitely one to miss.
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