On Oh No, Jessy Lanza reveals a range of new emotions, influences and styles, further establishing a distinctive sound that blurs the lines even more between pop and club music.
Where a sense of shyness helped make Pull My Hair Back so charming, Lanza’s increased confidence provides so much more color on Oh No.
Wrapped in a overwhelming number of influences, Oh No vaults across an infinity of cultural milieus to find itself. Soft and sensual, alone in a room of millions, Lanza weaves past and present, dance and desire as one in a dizzying, strenuous aesthletic attempt at its future.
Driven by crispy drum machines and shimmering synths, Lanza’s second full-length Hyperdub offering is instantly more direct and relatable than its predecessor; cloudy reverb is replaced by sheeny production.
Thematically the songs stick to the familiar pop terrain of love – the least adventurous thing about them – but Oh No nonetheless makes a convincing case for broadening the term "pop star" beyond the glamazons.
Oh No aims for pop and hits it squarely. This might not be usual top-40 fodder, but any song will seamlessly fit into the rotation of music whose primary aim is to be as appealing as possible.
Oh No is a gorgeous and deadly pop music manifesto that proves yet again the sad girls are not vulnerable and silent subjects.
Oh No is an inventive and enjoyable pop record that only falls short of Lanza's own standards.
While Oh No may have sparse songs, there are rarely moments of silence or extended low energy moments.
Lanza's second album is brief, bright and sophisticated, and while it doesn't push any boundaries or cross borders/genres as much or as often as a fan might hope, it does deliver on the sonic and melodic promise of her debut and offer that chance of a wider audience that has been promised since her first appearance.
It may be true that Oh No doesn’t quite match the mystery or depth of her debut – it’s all very transparent and above the surface in comparison – but it offers enough proof that the overt, more soulful qualities demonstrated on this album should serve her well for some time yet.
While it’s tempting to peg this as a breakthrough, it feels and sounds more like an expertly crafted transitional album. Oh No acts as a refinement of Lanza’s previous sound while gently nudging pop as a whole into a more complex and subtle future.
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