Imani - rough (Self Release) [Soul / Ambient Pop]

*** This blog post first appeared in TSMM's May 2nd Newsletter, where you can get all the tips (and more) first ***

This is a lovely EP, and the fact that it’s a debut release gives it added resonance, and me a warm glow; thank the music gods once more for Bandcamp’s discovery feed. As the EP release notes are, ummm, succinct, I headed over to Imani’s Instagram, to find out more, and to be honest I’m not much the wiser, but there’s some serious Gen Z attention to visual detail.

Social media aside, the EP is certainly hitting my currently glassy-eyed sweet spot. Imani’s got an ethereal soul style that rings sweet and true, and aided by some production assistance from the mysterious Aidan Rahman, she’s currently forging a fine line in astral soul that doesn’t have a bad bone in its body.

Wisely, there’s a delicate instrumental and production touch. Piano presses are gentle and precision placed, synths seep rather than soar into view, various strings - bowed, picked and strummed glide into the soundscape so as not to dislodge the hovering vocals that gaze from above, on the carefully crafted soundscapes; and I do like that voice - variously soulful, sultry, blissful and borderline new age. Low frequencies are few and far between and when the beats and bass sneak in through the back door, they politely adopt a nonintrusive groove or a warm bass anchor, before exiting to get another coffee and wonder why they bothered showing up at all. It’s a great astral soul debut from an obvious talent, not to mention I now know what hormesis means.

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Playlist Companion

Find Imani in the Ambient Pop Playlist.