slowthai

UGLY

slowthai’s newest is the work of an artist clearly more excited than ever about what he himself can do now he’s booted his own doors wide open. ‘UGLY’ is a beautiful thing to behold.

Fusing rap, alt-rock and abrasive electronics, the Northampton rapper mints a sound all his own on his third album.

UGLY is a headlong tumble into deep waters, careening sharply off the edges of decency and screaming out for meaning as it goes, arse over teakettle into the unknown.

UGLY certainly isn’t a pleasant listen, and at various points it’s too extreme to be categorised as rap or rock, but many of these tracks are brilliantly executed and their emotional power and impact put Slowthai in a unique position. All we can hope is that he has found a way out of his woes in real life.

With guests ranging from Fontaines DC, Shygirl and long-term producer Kwes Darko, the album is by far his most accomplished to date. You’d be hard pressed to find an artist more complete than Slowthai in the industry right now.

Ugly makes for difficult listening in places, but that’s not to say it isn’t often brilliant.

Ugly finds a complicated sort of happiness, one that embraces, however painfully, its creator's weaknesses and anxieties. Growth isn't always pretty.

With a wholehearted desire to make music purely for himself, UGLY displays an artistic freedom regained, reconnecting with what drew him to music in the first place.

“I give you everything I’ve got / Until the last fucking bone I have”, slowthai declares, the word ‘have’ descending into a distressed, feral cry – a testament to the unparalleled catharsis that runs through UGLY, and that makes such a challenging LP ultimately worthwhile.