New Albums
GREENTEA PENG
Man Made AMF/EMI
7/10
Stylish nu-soul debut cloaked in heavy stoner fog
ELLIOTT LAUREN, ALEXA KING
Visually arresting and with a compelling back story, rising nu-soul sensation Greentea Peng – aka multicultural south Londoner Aria Wells – feels suspiciously like a major-label marketing department’s wet dream. But behind the surface noise, Wells undeniably possesses an alluringly woozy, smoky, languid voice. Nodding to Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu and her teen heroine Lily Allen, her meandering paeans to sensimilia and spiritual emancipation are mostly hazy cosmic jive. But her high-calibre production team, led by Slowthai and Skepta collaborator Earbuds, ensure standout tracks such as “This Sound”, “Earnest” and “Sinner” are lush confections of jazz, dubstep, grime, trip-hop and psychedelic soul. More style than substance at times, maybe, but invariably rich in promise.