British R&B chanteuse Jorja Smith follows through on the promise of her early singles with a stunning debut album. We first became aware of the singer after her show-stealing duet with Drake covering Black Coffee’s “Superman,” and have been rinsing “Let Me Down,” her collab with Preditah, quite heavily since it was slipped out late last year. Smith is only 21, but Lost & Found is an incredibly mature effort, eschewing the nu-garage and deep house flare of her high-profile features; putting her immaculate voice squarely in focus over timeless R&B production courtesy of Charlie Perry, Maaike Kito Lebbing, Ed Thomas and more. Remarkably (for an R&B debut in 2018), there aren’t even any features, but Jorja’s charm and allure come through in HD to captivate you for the duration. Highlights include “Teenage Fantasy,” “Blue Lights,” “Tomorrow,” “Lifeboats (somewhere, Mike Skinner is listening to this and screaming down the phone for his agent to get Jorja in the studio for his comeback record), the brooding “Wandering Romance,” and “February 3rd,” where, on one of the album’s most chilling passages, her falsetto outro uncannily recalls babygirl Aaliyah. Black vinyl pressing housed in gatefold jacket, recommended.

• black vinyl pressing
• gatefold jacket
• music label: Cooking Vinyl 2018

reviewed by Twice As Nice 06/2018