Noname — Sundial — Album Review
Hip-Hop | Rap
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
There are sometimes points in time in which a scarce time for releasing new music can open the doors up for one to discover something incredibly exciting. That was certainly the case when I discovered Noname back in 2018 with the release of her debut album Room 25.
With a minimalist yet jazzy production, that debut album offered an excitingly new sonic feel, but one that didn’t take too much of the limelight away from Noname herself, and what she was saying. That being said, it made for a perfect introduction to Noname and her craft.
Due to not being able to connect with producers sonically for a long time, we wouldn’t get a sophomore album for a while. And while the gap between left a big chunk of time for Noname to fade from memory, the prospect of her long-awaited follow-up album surprisingly had me interested from the get-go.
Titled Sundial, Noname’s second large musical project was allegedly first teased by the release of the single “Balloons” back in April. But as there was not a teaser that seemingly made it on to Spotify, it somehow slipped right under my nose. That being said Sundial came as a completely fresh listening experience for myself.
Even with the five-year gap between Noname’s last album and this one, Sundial still carries a production that continues to push that soothing, minimalist and jazzy aesthetic, albeit one that feels a lot more polished this time around. It creates a perfect canvas for Noname’s real and unapologetic lyrics (though the brashness on this album could sometimes step a little too far; case and point the controversy with Jay Electronica’s allegedly antisemitic lyrics on “Balloons”).
Nevertheless, I do truly feel that Noname found that group of producers that she sonically connects with, as the beats do a marvellous job of complimenting her raw and real flows. Speaking of which, Noname’s lyrical talents had certainly grown as well since the release of Room 25. Overall, the general quality of this record certainly comes through.
I will say that the true aesthetic of where this abum wants to go in a narrative sense is a little cloudy, especially with the ramge of vibes that this album presents. However, Sundial does still feel like a pretty engaging project either way.
Whether this album will leave a lasting effect on me, however, still comes down to how I feel about it by the time the musical year of 2023 ends. Maybe it is just the fact that I am in the process of rushing through a tonne of albums I still need to cover, but despite Sundial presenting quite a hesty sense of importance to it, there’s simply just a lot about this album that had quite a slippery grip on me.
While the vast majority of tracks hit the right notes on Sundial, there wasn’t an awful lot about it that really stood out to me as a true defining or iconic moment. But hey, that may just be my in-the-moment thoughts being present front and centre; only time will tell what my true thoughts are on this album, I think, and they still can take a turn for the better.
Favourite Tracks: black mirror | gospel? | oblivion
Least Favourite Track: balloons
AWAL Recordings
