Loraine James 'For You And I' LP

Raised in the multicultural and mind-broadening London borough of Enfield, Loraine James grew up hearing everything from steel panmusic to Metallica, from jazz and electronica to drill and grime, and the results of this exposure can be heard on ‘For You And I’. In part the album explores the complexities of being in a queer relationship in London - “I’m in love and wanted to share that in some way ... to make songs that reflect layers of my relationship.” – and as a whole ‘For You and I’ is rhythmically free flowing and sprawling, with melodies that evolve into rippling keys, feeling like a live jam session with a jazz mentality, contrasting the delicate and abrasive.Opener ‘Glitch Bitch’ is a warm ear-worm, brandishing swirling textures with undulating keys and compressed percussion, with anintrospective theme revisited soon after on third track ‘So Scared’, whose glitched percussion and syncopated dub bassline build to afrantic meltdown melody. On ‘London Ting // Dark As Fuck’, inspired by Dizzee Rascals's ‘Boy In Da Corner', James explores thedarker side of her production with her frequent collaborator Le3 BLACK laying verses over the skeletal track. ‘Hand Drops’ is aninstrumental, about public displays of affection in a queer relationship. ‘Sensual’ reflects on intimacy with vocals by UK singer Theo,who's lyrics capture love and gentleness over a soft, minimal production of ethereal keys and scattered glitches. The albums’ title trackis also the most colourful, it’s ecstatic and effusive chaos driven by fervent synths expressing elation and the joyful side of herrelationship, while ‘My Future’ is a more reflective moment, where warping synths wash in and out with compressed kicks, as the artistconsiders the dangers that may come with her relationship :