With her 2018 debut Lost & Found, Jorja Smith proved herself to be one of the most promising new R&B acts in the United Kingdom. The album highlighted the British-born artist's emotive songwriting, raw vocal talent and a knack for building deeply affecting ballads from simple ingredients.
Over five years later, Smith has finally returned with her long-awaited follow-up. Crafted with a desire to explore textures beyond the balladry and jazz-tinged R&B of her debut, falling or flying finds Smith exploring new sounds and crossing into different genres. A valiant effort, the album is sometimes hindered by this omnivorous approach, ultimately lacking the cohesion and vision of her previous release.
To give credit where it's due, not one song on falling or flying falls completely flat — though "GO GO GO" comes closest to a face plant — and the album's major issue is that Smith's sonic explorations are too scattered, included without regard for how it all comes together. The moments of experimentation are sequenced so haphazardly that the album begins to feel less like a cohesive statement and more like you forgot to turn off shuffle.
The most clear-cut and inexcusable example of this is "GO GO GO," the pop punk-laced single that sits between the album's moody title track and the smooth "Try and Fit In." The track would sound out of place anywhere on here with the way it upends her signature sound, but it feels especially jarring sandwiched between these two cuts. Throughout the verses, Smith pulls some SZA-esque vocal inflections and pairs them with what feels like scrapped production from Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS sessions, and it just doesn't work. The song's saving grace is the undeniably infectious chorus, but the rest feels half-baked, with the verses feeling like filler placed between punchy hooks.
A more successful example of Smith's foray into new sounds is the jazzy summer smash "Little Things." Though it's as sonically distinctive as "GO GO GO," the song is infectiously upbeat and works well on its own, more than worthy of its viral moment this summer thanks to Nia Archives' electrifying jungle remix. Despite how different it sounds from the tracks preceding it, "Little Things" is a high point on the album — a different sound for Smith that she manages to make her own.
The pair of tracks that close out falling or flying are quintessential Jorja Smith and may well be two of her best works yet. "Backwards" starts with stripped-back percussion and a plucky acoustic guitar riff that swells into a mesmerizing string section as Smith transitions from a simple, almost spoken-word cadence into elegant harmonies that are as graceful as they are despondent. It's a wonderful showcase for the gravity of Smith's vocals, bringing urgency and weight to a fairly understated piece of music.
Album closer "What if my heart beats faster?" is stunning, a song that feels in line with fan favourite Lost & Found cuts like "Don't Watch Me Cry" or "Goodbyes." It's a cinematic and sobering climax for the record that features some of the strongest writing of Smith's career to date, and one of her most powerful vocal performances. It's easily the best song falling or flying has to offer.
While framing falling or flying as a sophomore slump would be a disservice to how high the highs truly are, there is something to be said about how the record stumbles in its attempt to wear so many hats at once. If the tracklist were to be cut down by three to four tracks, or even had the stylistic outliers been tacked on as bonus tracks instead of scattered throughout, the album would benefit greatly. As it stands, the attempts at exploring new territory do a lot to derail the album's cohesion, even if they do showcase Smith's versatility and desire to explore new sounds and styles.
falling or flying may fall a bit short of the expectations set by her debut, but it does fly in the face of what you'd expect of someone on their second outing as a solo artist. It's a solid effort despite some missteps — among the clutter is some of the best material of Smith's young career.
(FAMM records )Over five years later, Smith has finally returned with her long-awaited follow-up. Crafted with a desire to explore textures beyond the balladry and jazz-tinged R&B of her debut, falling or flying finds Smith exploring new sounds and crossing into different genres. A valiant effort, the album is sometimes hindered by this omnivorous approach, ultimately lacking the cohesion and vision of her previous release.
To give credit where it's due, not one song on falling or flying falls completely flat — though "GO GO GO" comes closest to a face plant — and the album's major issue is that Smith's sonic explorations are too scattered, included without regard for how it all comes together. The moments of experimentation are sequenced so haphazardly that the album begins to feel less like a cohesive statement and more like you forgot to turn off shuffle.
The most clear-cut and inexcusable example of this is "GO GO GO," the pop punk-laced single that sits between the album's moody title track and the smooth "Try and Fit In." The track would sound out of place anywhere on here with the way it upends her signature sound, but it feels especially jarring sandwiched between these two cuts. Throughout the verses, Smith pulls some SZA-esque vocal inflections and pairs them with what feels like scrapped production from Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS sessions, and it just doesn't work. The song's saving grace is the undeniably infectious chorus, but the rest feels half-baked, with the verses feeling like filler placed between punchy hooks.
A more successful example of Smith's foray into new sounds is the jazzy summer smash "Little Things." Though it's as sonically distinctive as "GO GO GO," the song is infectiously upbeat and works well on its own, more than worthy of its viral moment this summer thanks to Nia Archives' electrifying jungle remix. Despite how different it sounds from the tracks preceding it, "Little Things" is a high point on the album — a different sound for Smith that she manages to make her own.
The pair of tracks that close out falling or flying are quintessential Jorja Smith and may well be two of her best works yet. "Backwards" starts with stripped-back percussion and a plucky acoustic guitar riff that swells into a mesmerizing string section as Smith transitions from a simple, almost spoken-word cadence into elegant harmonies that are as graceful as they are despondent. It's a wonderful showcase for the gravity of Smith's vocals, bringing urgency and weight to a fairly understated piece of music.
Album closer "What if my heart beats faster?" is stunning, a song that feels in line with fan favourite Lost & Found cuts like "Don't Watch Me Cry" or "Goodbyes." It's a cinematic and sobering climax for the record that features some of the strongest writing of Smith's career to date, and one of her most powerful vocal performances. It's easily the best song falling or flying has to offer.
While framing falling or flying as a sophomore slump would be a disservice to how high the highs truly are, there is something to be said about how the record stumbles in its attempt to wear so many hats at once. If the tracklist were to be cut down by three to four tracks, or even had the stylistic outliers been tacked on as bonus tracks instead of scattered throughout, the album would benefit greatly. As it stands, the attempts at exploring new territory do a lot to derail the album's cohesion, even if they do showcase Smith's versatility and desire to explore new sounds and styles.
falling or flying may fall a bit short of the expectations set by her debut, but it does fly in the face of what you'd expect of someone on their second outing as a solo artist. It's a solid effort despite some missteps — among the clutter is some of the best material of Smith's young career.
