Kelela - "Raven"

Not mindblowing, but worth the wait

Kelela’s second studio album comes six whole years after the first. And it’s so close to Blue, but I have just enough criticisms to hold it back on Teal - at least for now.

Let me start with what it is - Alt R&B woven with electronic elements. Several tracks have some Grime influence, as well, but not as many as her previous work would suggest you expect. It’s the most atmospheric R&B I’ve ever had the pleasure of hearing, and the whole album makes for great background music. It just feels good.

I don’t like the book-end tracks though (album opener and closer). They just don’t seem to actually serve much purpose. The opener doesn’t lead up to the start of the second track effectively, and it can’t stand on its own; the closer is much the same. While the album finishes out at 62 minutes, it still feels weird to waste seven of them like this between the two. And while most of the tracks are otherwise great, there is a long stretch on the latter half where the album feels like it gets stuck. It slows down and stays slow, fully decrescendoing with “Divorce”, which is the only other track I have culled.

It’s still a great album, especially if you’re looking for good R&B or something low-key.

Rating: Teal Green