Stunningly crafted, beautifully executed, and passionately created, this album is a masterpiece of music. Nite Bjuti’s album is perfect in every way. Very few albums today are capable of reaching the levels of emotion, intellectual, and musicality. The trio successfully blends their shared experiences into one cohesive album that contains a number of tracks that are obviously inspired by powerful themes.
Nite Bjuti’s self-titled album is nothing short of deep and complex. Exploring an inner musicality that is expressed through layers upon layers of melodies and rhythms that all intertwine into a single audible unit, the album is the pure and raw expression of the creative minds of the Nite Bjuti trio — showcasing their musical prowess in full display.
Nite Bjuti — pronounced as “night beauty” — is a trio of talented musicians comprised of members Candice Hoyes (vocals), Mimi Jones (bass and vocals), and the Grammy award winner Val Jeanty (percussions and electronics). With the talent and reputation that Nite Bjuti delivers, this star-studded lineup is simply a match made in heaven.
The experimental jazz trio has definitely upped the ante in their recently released album, both in musicality and thematic content. While the musical range and dexterity of each group member are undoubtedly remarkable, the charged lyricism and storytelling of Nite Bjuti are what elevates the album into a higher plane of complexity and intricacy.
Exploring themes such as existentialism, feminism, and racial equality, Nite Bjuti’s album is the result of the harmonious synchronisation of the artistic prowess of all three group members. The album paints a powerful tale from start to finish of an exploratory dive into the psyche of the trio’s shared beliefs and reflections.
While the trio was formed recently in 2018, the chemistry between Candice, Mimi, and Val is evident with the range and quality of the tracks listed on their self-titled album.
Starting strong with the mystical percussions prominent in ‘Mood (Liberation Walk)’, the vibe and aura of the entire album as expressive storytelling embellished with profound musical flavours is immediately introduced to listeners.
Tracks such as ‘Stolen Voice’, ‘Soursop’, and ‘The Window’ offer a more sombre tone to the album. Focusing on musical spacing matched with gentle percussions accompanying the ongoing narrative the album wishes to convey. And speaking of musical spacing, the album’s perfect pacing is evident in ambient tracks such as ‘Airy Thoughts’, ‘Echo Stolen’, and ‘Silk Asteroids’, which provide a moment of relief in an album that is riddled with profound and complex construction. The more haunting tone of the album is introduced in tracks such as ‘Illustrious Negro Dead’, ‘Witchez’, and ‘Speech and Silence’. And to wrap up the album, the closing song ‘Singing Bones’ serenades listeners with a constant echoing of the track’s title.
All in all, Nite Bjuti’s experimental self-titled debut album is another addition to this year’s running list of classics that will last the test of time. Constructed with complex musical structures born out of pure improvisation, the album is a certified classic and a perfect embodiment of musical excellence at its finest.
