Album Review: Loyle Carner - Not Waving, But Drowning
Too often in any medium, talented individuals lose sight of their modest roots in the depths of their own art, equating their abilities with a feeling of superiority above others. Of course, financial success and overall popularity are often the true motivators for the acquisition of ego (two concepts not necessarily contiguous with skill), but somehow it feels that even if underappreciated UK rapper Loyle Carner were to explode into the mainstream tomorrow, his humility and endearing charm would not diminish a bit. In a year already blessed by great UK hip-hop albums from both Little Simz and Dave, Not Waving, But Drowning is yet another substantial testament to London's accomplished rap scene, while also being an incredibly satisfying and moving experience in its own right.
The album's title is taken from a poem by Stevie Smith, a recording of whom appears on the title track explaining its significance: a reference to those who feel out of place in society, who pretend to fit in among friends who see their frantic calls for help as mere waving, when in reality they are drowning in a sea of depression and helplessness. The themes embodied in the poem are present all over the album, and Carner is not the type of musician to blend them in subtly. Krispy is a desperate attempt to rekindle an old friendship with fellow artist Rebel Kleff, whose voice is sampled in the track's intro yet either failed or refused to submit a fresh contribution, leaving a space at the song's ending filled only by a flugelhorn's mourning moans. Carner's verses reference multiple famous hip-hop duos (Pete Rock and CL, Common and J-Dilla), but even without a point of comparison the emotion present is heartbreaking: "Give a fuck about the money or the e-track/I just want my G back".
Carner's smooth, mellow voice is quite easy to listen to, yet after a while it begins to cross the border into bland monotony. His ear for capable beats largely helps balance out the sleepier moments of his verses, though certain cuts like Still nevertheless come off as lethargic. On the plus side, the album has an undeniable flow and atmosphere consistent throughout, a positive heightened by the transitions between songs used to both tether everything together and give a peek into the rapper's daily life. An innocuous clip of him ordering takeout introduces Carluccio, one of multiple cuts centered around his culinary interests, while the soulful recollection of Carner first meeting his partner on Ice Water is followed by a conversation with a taxi driver who complements the instrumental of the next track, Ottolenghi.
Despite the tendency for sluggish, slow-moving compositions, the numerous features present on the record do help break up the tedium somewhat. Fellow UK musicians like Tom Misch, who was also present on Carner's 2017 album Yesterday's Gone, share space with some of the most reputable R&B artists alive; namely Sampha and Jorja Smith, the latter's contributions on Loose Ends being one of many highlights on the album. As Carner despondently laments his wasted youth ("You feel ashamed, guzzle Jagers, your brain's sinkin'/You think it's deep, don't think it's depression/A misspent adolescence), she returns again and again to bring the track back to a similarly pessimistic refrain: "In love, when the going is tough/I wait 'til it falls on deaf ears".
Not Waving, But Drowning opens with a soft, piano driven letter to Carner's mother, Jean-Coyle Larner, reassuring her that despite his success and moving in with his girlfriend, he will stay close to his family and the environment he was raised in. After the record's odyssey of emotional jazz rap is finished, its saga concludes with the recurrence of a device from his last album: a poem written by his mother in return. As she describes her son's presence despite the loss of his stepfather as "We clung to each other like sailors in a storm as our world pitched and bucked, out breath stolen by grief", it is impossible to pretend that any amount of fame could distance the UK rapper from his upbringing, and by extension, his evocative music. The poignant attention to the details of life's ups and downs continues to be the rapper's greatest asset, and, coupled with creative production and a soulful ambience, has given birth to another stellar hip-hop record from a career still so young.
7.5/10
Favourite Tracks: Angel, You Don't Know, Loose Ends
https://open.spotify.com/album/1kokRXXxrJzhxdMo0vsVDV?si=dsHpNlWFT42KbHF8Yc4VYQ