Album Review: Nai Palm Sews R&B’s Future With A “Needle Paw”
Nai Palm’s Needle Paw is one of the MUST HAVE albums of the week. This woman is MORE than R&B music, she is R&B mysticism. She takes this genre to the river, and cleanses it with the human light and magic that more need to believe in.
I know I am a reviewer, but certain albums leave me stunted for words. Why? Because they become experiences. Tracks like, “Crossfire/ So Into You”, “Haiku”, “Homebody” and “Atoll” are like music tents meant for mindful trips into love. If you have read my album review of Jhene Aiko’s Trip, then you know there are certain albums adamant on turning every instrumental iand gospel-inspired harmonies into a psychotropic drug; the more you consume their sounds, the more gone you become from what surrounds you into what makes you. In Needle Paw, Nai Palm turns every jazzes rhythm and blued chords into a drug for love; with each melody being a bind between your heart and mind. The result is a record that, believe it or not, refreshens love. This virtue is the epicenter of music, but just when you feel all has been represented and discussed in terms of love, Nai Palm’s voice becomes its embodiment. She is the vocal ebb and flow of every heartbeat that fell in and out of relationships, but never lost the memory of them.
While there are a lot of covers in this record, Nai Palm has transformed them into her own original letters to humanity and the ones that taught her it. Jimi Hendrix, David Bowie, Radiohead, and, especially, Hiatus Kaiyote, are covered by the sweet luxury of Nai Palm’s voice. She turns verses into fruits and flowers for you to take in and, again, cleanse your spirit. Thus, it is befitting she chose artists as eccentric and game-changing as her. Each of these icons knew how to dive in and rise out human emotions from their fans, and go beyond filters to become art. Hence, “Have You Ever Been (To Electric Ladyland)”, “Blackstar”, “Pyramid Song”, and “When The Knife” are standout tracks for anyone wanting sonic trip into spiritual landscapes. For More Information On Nai Palm and To Buy Needle Paw on October 20 Click Here.
