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9.2
132800
9.2 |
Beats Per Minute
A transformative work of art that merges house and ambient, soul and dance, and resides within interzones
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9.0
132833
9.0 |
All Music
Constant if fluid oscillations between diaphanous ballads, pulsing slow jams, and modern street soul bangers are just as suited for the greater number of songs based in relationships
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9.0
132772
9.0 |
Loud And Quiet
Raven sits on its own plinth. Unassociated with any genre past, present or future, it simply exists like a grand Kubrick or Tarkovsky film, where any frame can be paused and in its stillness one can see the complexity of symmetry at play
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8.4
132836
8.4 |
Pitchfork
Kelela’s rapturous second album is a masterful display of tension and release, centering queer Black womanhood through blasts of heated dance music and ambient comedowns
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8.0
132842
8.0 |
Slant Magazine
No matter the tempo or setting Raven is fully aware of how the body can both entrap and liberate. It’s an innovative use of music as a vessel to capture both
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8.0
132847
8.0 |
God Is In The TV
The most satisfying moments on Raven are when it seemingly takes place in an erotic bedroom escapade
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8.0
132862
8.0 |
Dork
Kelela arrives just in time with a long-awaited reminder she’s electronic music’s suprem
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8.0
132940
8.0 |
Exclaim
Raven's unstructured, experimental feel may be unsettling for some, but the project's only other downside is that eventually, it ends
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8.0
132774
8.0 |
NME
Nearly five-and-a-half years on from her debut, the Washington D.C.-born artist makes a frequently breathtaking return
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8.0
132775
8.0 |
DIY
A soundtrack for melancholic late-night drives through buzzing cities
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8.0
132780
8.0 |
Crack
On Raven, Kelela is re-establishing her connection with herself
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8.0
132781
8.0 |
Uncut
Raven is her triumphant move forward, 15 tracks of sensual R&B with a subtle strength at their core, wrapped in vaporous synths and variously edged with UK garage, '80s R&B and techno. Print edition only
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8.0
132814
8.0 |
The Quietus
By embracing the rich heritage of Black, queer dance music and adding a splash of her own magic, she’s created a genuinely captivating record
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8.0
132818
8.0 |
Clash
Confident in its ability to not pander, much of ‘Raven’ is downbeat, low-res and unvarnished
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8.0
132826
8.0 |
The FT
Rhythmic energy bubbles under the surface of the Maryland-raised singer’s new album
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8.0
132828
8.0 |
The Observer
The US singer’s long-awaited second album embraces the Black female experience with a mix of drum’n’bass and sensuous, unfurling soundscapes
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8.0
132771
8.0 |
The Skinny
On Raven, the follow-up to 2017's Take Me Apart, Kelela explores autonomy, belonging, and self-renewal as healing
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7.9
133031
7.9 |
Spectrum Culture
Aching yet soothing, Kelela’s Raven is an ambient dance, R&B experience that seeks to help ground herself in her art and identity
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7.0
132811
7.0 |
The Line Of Best Fit
Raven doesn’t feature much of the volcanic beats and unadulterated longing of its predecessor, but its minimalistic approach showcases an artist in the midst of her evolution
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6.0
132840
6.0 |
PopMatters
Returning from a five-year hiatus, Kelela’s Raven isn’t an explosive comeback for the alternative R&B singer but a downtempo reflection
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