Words by Tim Hakki @TimHakki
As the summer weather grinds inconsistently on, we’re all still holding out for the kind of fortnight-long swelter that Mahalia’s first official single ‘Sober’ seems destined to soundtrack. Having made a name for herself primarily as an acoustic artist, there’s a definite change of tone to this new number. It's got the bells and whistles of a contemporary bass-heavy pop song, but listen closer and you’ll see some heavy acoustic influences - the swing on the bass groove is jazz, the melodies hark to Erykah Badu, and it’s all delivered with a kind of biographical intensity that strongly evokes the late Amy. It’s a killer new direction from an irresistible young voice.