Review: SZA - Z
[Top Dawg Entertainment; 2014]
Rating: 9/10
By Travis Boswell, Contributor
Key Tracks: “Warm Winds," “Green Mile," “Sweet November”
Last year, SZA released S, the first EP in a three-part series. Dubbed “glitter trap” by the creator, it was an interesting experiment in combining the booming bass and snare rolls of trap music with SZA's whimsical lyrics and soft-spoken R&B vocals. Since then, she's signed with Top Dawg Entertainment to release Z, which is a longer, more diverse and much better album than S.
Z is very different from SZA's previous release, highlighting her versatility almost immediately. There are less bangers here, but the songs are much longer and more detailed. If S was meant to be blasted from one’s loudest speakers, Z is meant to be listened to with a good pair of headphones in a quiet room.
The production of each song is packed with subtle details that might slip past on the first few listens. “Ur” contains a lot of background vocals, backward samples and a great guitar line that is mixed so low that it's almost inaudible. “Warm Winds” has an extended epilogue that changes the song entirely to a duet with TDE label-mate Isaiah Rashad.
SZA takes the spotlight in the end by singing her own harmonies with some lyrics about loneliness: “Sometimes I bite my lips and close my eyes / Just to pretend it's you / Long live lonely thoughts and Thursday nights / That's when I think of you.”
The guest artists are perfectly inserted to complement SZA's style. Chance the Rapper gets a verse in the hypnotic “Child's Play” and ends up singing a duet by the end of it. “Babylon” is the closest the album gets to hip-hop, and Kendrick Lamar does his best to take the spotlight alongside SZA's chilling refrain of, “Bring on the thorny crown and crucify me.”
Through most of the album, SZA's singing is breathy and light and almost always accompanied by a slight echo, giving her vocals an otherworldly quality. It makes songs like “Green Mile” even more powerful where she sings louder than usual. “If it wasn't for my shotgun / He'd be alive and I'd be halfway to Heaven / Instead of sitting here in the dark / Going through Hell.”
“Green Mile” and “Sweet November” are close competitors for the best song on the album. The latter is tinged with psychedelic rock-styled organs and guitars for an endearing ‘60s tribute. The only weak song on the album is “Shattered Ring,” a rock song where the instruments unfortunately overpower her voice.
Overall, Z is an excellent album that shows off SZA's wide range. The production is excellent on each song, but what really ties it all together is her voice. She could overpower the songs if she wanted to, but her subtle accompaniment fits better, and makes the few loud moments more impactful. The middle chapter of SZA's collection is the best one yet and sets the expectations high for the next.
