nadine shah

From tragedy to triumph - the Geordie lass’s fifth album is the unflinching sonic sequela of her horribly public breakdown - an extraordinarily candid, muscular and poignant rehabilitation.

Cut through with her serrated and astute humour, these mini-masterpieces mirror the complexity of this troubled talent’s mind, drawing melody from abrasion and juxtaposing beauty and tenderness with tension and uneasiness. The virtuosity and sophistication of Nadine (and long-time co-writer and producer, Ben Hillier)’s deep, expansive, soulful songwriting permeates every moment. It’s slung through with a danceable swoon, galvanising vocal licks, pulsing psych patterns, glam rock flourishes and mystical vibes, mutually coalescing and differentiating the genre-anarchic compositions.

The transition from ‘Sad Lads Anonymous’ - the brutal un-love letter to her old hometown of Ramsgate - to the cathartic rhythmic deftness of ‘Greatest Dancer’, serves as a 2-song distillation of the album’s narrative. The abiding experience of ‘Filthy Underneath’ is oddly life-affirming - a procession of a life-time of ghosts and their (hopefully long-lasting) exorcism.