Katy B – Little Red

Having gained critical acclaim after the success of her first album, On a Mission, it seems Katy B has outdone herself. February 7^th saw the release of her latest project, Little Red, a twelve-track album boasting featuring artists like Jessie Ware and Sampha, as well as an innovative fresh twist on her club-house sound. 

The first few pieces of the Brixton-born artist are what we want to hear. Next Thing and 5 AM have that classic house sound that this young act is so renowned for. There’s more sophistication than before – less raw, but without losing her signature edge that helped her to define herself as a pioneering artist in this genre. 

Aaliyah, co-written by (and featuring) Jessie Ware, is a dance floor ballad. This killer female collaboration is an unequivocal admixture of synthesizers coupled with astounding vocals from both B and Ware, and heavy elements of classic dance and house sounds from its prime. 

Moving (briefly) away from the constant thumping of bass and synth, the fourth track Crying for No Reason is slower, thicker, and considerably more intense than the rest of the songs featured on the record. Arguably the finale of the album, Still, is the most acoustic – obviously, with electronic elements still present – and possibly the slowest piece too.

The overwhelming majority of the album passes in the same basic strophic structure and, at times, begins to sound like one extremely – extremely – long house song. Her truly formidable vocals prevail from start to finish, although this predominantly electronic album does not fully explore the range she is clearly capable of. The biggest takeaway from Little Red is that experiencing the album in a live setting would be a scintillating, incredible night out. 

Hannah Ross

Little Red was released on 7^th February 2014. For further information or to order the album visit Katy B’s website here.

Watch the video for 5 AM here: