Tinashe – ‘Quantum Baby’ review: a fun stepping stone

Tinashe is understood for her unapologetic experimenting. On her beloved mixtapes – like 2012’s ‘In Case We Die’ – and 2014 debut album ‘Aquarius’, she constructed up her personal world of atmospheric, darkish and woozy sounds. In opposition to the inflow of soulful singers like Elle Varner and Frank Ocean, she stood out as a breath of recent air whereas pushing the style’s boundaries. Sadly, that refreshing spirit had dwindled by the point her third album ‘Joyride’ was launched.

Since changing into impartial again in 2019, she’s tried to raise pop music whereas maintaining that escapist allure – and she or he appeared to search out the components on the TikTok-friendly ‘Nasty’. With a number of sinfully addictive strains, like “Is someone gonna match my freak?”, it turned one of many songs of the summer time and propelled Tinashe again into the limelight.

Nevertheless, ‘Quantum Child’ – an eight-track LP that principally sends you on a trip by a misty world of buzzing synths and indelible melodies – simply misses the mark. The file begins off with ‘No Simulation’ – a minimalistic-yet-grandiose introduction that soothes the soul, attracts you right into a world stuffed with lofty, hedonistic love songs, and finds Tinashe “searching for reality” over whirling synths. The ethereal and floaty notes take inspiration from her final launch, 2023’s ‘BB/ANG3L’, which ‘Quantum Child’ is one thing of a sequel to – each data showcase her love for romantic narratives over echoed harmonies and zooming synths.

Later, she ventures into understated electro-pop whereas returning to her escapist model with tracks like ‘Getting No Sleep’ – a glossy ode to nocturnal escapades. ‘Thirsty’ showcases her breathy vocals, leaving her accomplice “so thirsty” for her, whereas ‘Pink Flags’ and ‘Cross That Line’ keep a hypnotic vibe, the latter energised by a Jersey Membership bassline. On first pay attention, these songs battle to seize the addictive spark of ‘Nasty’. There may be some reward the extra you pay attention, however Tinashe’s laidback supply can develop into too one-tone, and ‘Quantum Child’ loses momentum as a consequence.

Tinashe tries to select up the tempo with ‘Once I Get You Alone’ and ‘No Broke Boys’ – however they’re laced with generic pop tropes. ‘Once I Get You Alone’ is supposed to be a sultry quantity, however the blaring entice 808s drown out Tinashe’s gentle register. The girl-power anthem ‘No Broke Boys’’s marimba chimes, hollowed vocals and copy-and-paste entice percussion are dated too, feeling like a track extra appropriate for her time within the bubblegum pop band The Stunners than 2024.

One of the best a part of the venture comes by way of the interlude on the finish of ‘Once I Get You Alone’. Because the bongo drums roll in, the silky tones of an electrical guitar put you in a state of candy satisfaction whereas Tinashe boasts about her physique: “It ain’t rocket science / I don’t must ask / In the event you miss my physique.” As nice because the second is, it’s additionally frustratingly too quick.

‘Quantum Child’ proves that the playfulness of ‘Nasty’ wasn’t a one-time factor, filled with moments that really feel as cheeky and lovesick as her comeback observe. Songs like ‘No Simulation’ and ‘Pink Flags’ convey again her ethereal, brooding signature sound, too, whereas others function little pick-me-ups for when you might want to change on. However, this file doesn’t weld these two sides of Tinashe efficiently. There’s nonetheless a strategy to go earlier than she finds her candy spot, however this can be a enjoyable stepping stone alongside the way in which.