Rozi Plain — Prize — Album Review
Alternative | Indie | Lo-Fi
Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Music
We’re now hopefully finally getting into the swing of things with album releases in 2023. And while the trickle down has expectedly still been a little scarce, as the new year is still pretty fresh, it has given me the chance to discover some great new artists. A great example of this, would of course be UK musician and singer Rozi Plain.
While standing as the fifth album in her discography, Prize is my first instance of listening to Rozi Plain. But more importantly than that, this album came to be a real stand-out listen in comparison to the other albums released this year. For context, I was itching for at least one album that was released last Friday, and while I was sifting through a fair amount of options that Album of The Year was dishing out, none really came as close to appealing to me as Prize did, especially by atmospheric standards.
In regards to said atmosphere, I feel that Prize had an effect on me, thanks to its mood, that could be comparable to the likes of Metronomy’s Small World last year. In other words, this album carries a very soothing and spring-like feel that I have no doubt will be all-the more appreciated when the season properly arrives in full.
On top of this, Prize was one of those albums that had me intrigued to find out more, regarding it’s narrative focus and storytelling. In essence, this album gives us a reflective look into Plain’s feelings of being present in the moment, and essentially serves as a musical representation of the artist’s need for the calm. In feel that the lo-fi and minimalist sound (which include a few quirky synth elements sprinkled on top), does an incredible job, and in turn gives me as the listener a (well needed) sense of calm.
Truly, this album is all-soothing. And given my massive step in moving into my first flat, Prize is a perfect accompaniment to ease my rising nerves. And, of course this is just a personal take of mine, but I feel that some of the lyrics on this album feel eerily relevant into all the nerve-wracking excitement I’m about to dive into; after all, my current step forward is a “prize” of my own, in essence.
But without diving too deep into what the album means, the more important factor here is that Prize is sonically a real treat to the ears, and certainly a very vibey way of kicking off my musical 2023. The album offers musical warmth consistently through its tracks. And while there is only a very small handful of tracks that I simply found to be a little repetitive, there is a consistent amount of quality and uniqueness to be found across this album.
I certainly have very good feelings about this album going forward into the year, as I feel that Prize has what it takes to truly build up a tonne of sentiment throughout 2023.
Favourite Tracks: Complicated | Help | Prove Your Good | Painted The Room
Least Favourite Track: Conversation
Memphis Industries
