Listeners in the UK will probably recall 070 Shake’s woozy contribution to Raye’s Escapism (2022), a viral ode to numbing pain. Formerly a rapper turned vocalist who prospered under the wing of Kanye West, the US artist born Danielle Balbuena has become more high-profile and genre-agnostic over the course of her own two intriguing albums, branching out into downbeat, Auto-Tuned R&B. Her undercarriages may vary wildly, but Shake’s moody, anguished takes on relationships remain a signature.
Petrichor, her third outing, invokes the scent of the soil after rain. That’s where its subtleties end. This is a record full of impact and heightened feeling; its too-muchness is a feature not a glitch. Electric guitars howl, pianos tinkle, strings weep. “I want my blood on your hands!” intones Shake as an electronics shop immolates.
However bold her production choices are, the effect is mostly whiplash. Lungs features pummelling techno, church organs and lyrics about the sun exploding. By contrast, Winter Baby/ New Jersey Blues is a two-part, old-timey Christmas outing with a Beach Boys twist. A cover of Tim Buckley’s Song to the Siren updates This Mortal Coil’s version for the 21st century with great jazz percussion and a surprise Courtney Love guest spot – testament to 070 Shake’s eclecticism and range, but also to her preference for the overblown.
