“So go on and save me/ I’m sinking into my feelings/ And I’m scared they’re gonna drown my confidence…"
“I might look capable, but I’m not/ These days you’re all that I’ve got” – ever lost your identity in a doomed relationship? A Reckoning’s mesmeric, contemplative opening lead single Save Me – Kimbra’s first new song in three years – chronicles the collapse of a codependent long-term relationship. Kimbra’s vocal delivery – at times quivering like an uncertain internal voice struggling to be heard – is incredibly intimate; the listener feels like a trusted confidant. This song’s stunning arrangement also conjures Björk and the striking accompanying film clip, shot in Iceland, follows a narrative that reflects Kimbra’s reality as she “seeks to heal her relationship to self, to other women and finally to Mother Earth”, according to the presser.
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Kimbra’s unapologetic, careening follow-up single Replay! is a minimal, industrial-electro banger with a syncopated beat that evokes a frantic, irregular heartbeat: “What’s the matter with my head? Stuck. In. Au-to-ma-tic” – choruses battle a barrage of intrusive thoughts.
“We’re in a reckoning around spirit, race, our earth and how people walk in the world with a sense of conscience,” Kimbra has said of creating her fourth album. “I wanted to have something to say in my work that spoke to that shift we’re all experiencing.”
This two-time Grammy-winning artist started writing material for A Reckoning with co-producer Ryan Lott while touring with his experimental project Son Lux in 2018. Lott also features on the piano-driven album track Foolish Thinking, during which his tremulous vocal delivery oozes unchecked vulnerability.
A Reckoning is eclectic yet accessible, with each of the ten tracks utilising distinct sonic palettes: vibratory bass, ominous synth drone and startling dynamic shifts (Gun); funky-fresh Prince vibes for getting your groove on (La Type feat. Tommy Raps & Pink Siifu); and R&B leanings (Personal Space). GLT (feat. Erick The Architect) opens with an annoying Voicemail from a bloke who basically says that although the last few weeks “hanging out” with its intended recipient was “amazing”, he’s “not looking for anything too serious at the moment” [facepalm] – a timely reminder to have those difficult convos IRL, ‘cause Voicemails can be saved, shared and even repurposed.
Closing, acquiescing piano ballad I Don’t Want To Fight – with its minimal arrangement incorporating sleigh bells and fluttering harp accents – is the perfect vehicle for showcasing Kimbra’s astounding vocal agility.
Simultaneously personal and universal, A Reckoning is career-defining work. Yet again we’re reminded Kimbra is so much more than somebody that we used to know.
Label: Inertia/ [PIAS]
Release date: January 27
