SELF ESTEEM
Prioritise Pleasure FICTION
8/10
Second savvy pop set from former Slow Clubber
Rebecca Taylor’s debut solo album Compliments Please was sharply self-aware and emotionally candid, while flirting with multiple musical styles. Two years on, her sound is equally ambitious but more committed: here are modern, maximalist pop songs with top notes of R&B, trap and Afrobeat, plus experimental detailing. As ever, Taylor’s lyrics convince, whether she’s examining her social awkwardness, independence or achievement anxiety, and humour leaps out unexpectedly (“Sexting you at the mental health talk seems counterproductive”, opens “Moody”). There are no misfires, but “I Do This All The Time”, a deadpan monologue with a quasi-gospel chorus, and the darkly abrasive “How Can I Help You” are especially strong.