Ash by Ibeyi on iTunes

12 Songs, 39 Minutes

EDITORS’ NOTES

After the introspective reflections of 2015 debut Ibeyi, twins Naomi and Lisa-Kaindé Diaz set their focus on the volatile political landscape. The spare, percussive “Away Away” clings to the hope of a better tomorrow with an uplifting, hymnal hook before Kamasi Washington’s saxophone underscores a gripping mood of defiance on “Deathless,” an account of wrongful arrest. However, “No Man Is Big Enough for My Arms” best encapsulates the album’s blend of bold expression and entrancing, experimental R&B, striking at misogyny with a fierce punch wrapped inside a velvet glove of beautiful harmonies.

EDITORS’ NOTES

	TITLE	TIME
	I Carried This for Years	1:34
	Away Away	2:59
	Deathless (feat. Kamasi Washington)	3:11
	I Wanna Be Like You	2:37
	No Man Is Big Enough for My Arms	2:26
	Valé	3:26
	Waves	3:14
	Transmission / Michaelion (feat. Meshell Ndegeocello)	6:30
	Me Voy (feat. Mala Rodríguez)	3:07
	When Will I Learn (feat. Chilly Gonzales)	3:00
	Numb	3:47
	Ash	3:48

4.6 out of 5

25 Ratings

mattal1958

I'm just so blown away by the music of these incredibly talented young women. Their music is unlike anything I've ever heard before. Equal parts soul, folk, electronica, pop...combining the influences and rhythms of Cuba and Africa, beautifully sung from the heart, echoes of both past and future...observations and exclamations on both the personal and the political...seemingly all within every song.
ASH isn't quite as intimate as their self-titled first album, and it features some guest artists, who make solid contributions. But, at no time does it sacrifice or compromise their unique sound. Their less-is-more approach is still evident throughout, even on the larger sounding productions ("Deathless," "Away Away." "Me Voy," "Transmission/Michaelion").

I don't know where these sisters take us next, but wherever that might be, the journey will no doubt be worth taking.

DTownBlogger

Great piece of work!

blree

I loved Ibeyi's first album so much that I purchased this one without even previewing it. Big mistake! This album completely lacks the vibrance and expressiveness of their previous offering. Tracks like "Waves" are just talk-singing over silence... hardly even musical. If you're looking for depth of emotion and dance worthy jams, then this is not the album for you. Ash is quiet and sobor. Most of the album falls flat for me.

About Ibeyi

Ibeyi (pronounced ee-bey-ee) is the Parisian musical duo of twin sisters Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Diaz, who meld elements of Afro-Cuban roots music and electro doom soul. Their name comes from the Yoruban language and translates as "twins." The two were born in Cuba, and sing in both English and Yoruban. Their father, the late conguero Miguel "Anga" Diaz (Buena Vista Social Club), passed away while the women were still in their teens. Their mother Maya insisted that the pair compose and perform.

The two were in their early teens when they began to perform together in and around their neighborhood, and then in Paris at large. In 2013, XL Recordings boss Richard Russell saw a YouTube video of the pair singing "Mama Says" and brought them to London. He signed the duo and began producing their debut (and helping out on synths). In 2014 two singles, "Oya" and "River," were released and Ibeyi appeared on Later…With Jools Holland on BBC 2 and issued a third video single for "Mama Says." Their self-titled debut long-player was issued on XL in February of 2015. In addition to global touring, the duo found time to guest on jazz composer and multi-instrumentalist Alfredo Rodriguez's celebrated Tocoro album the following year as well as appearing in the short film for Beyoncé’s album Lemonade. They also landed on the cover of Fader and returned to Havana for triumphant live performances. In June 2017, the duo issued a pre-release single, "Today Today," and followed it with the political album Ash in September. The album is drenched in a meld of electro-acoustic and Afro-Cuban and Yoruba sounds with contemporary influences ranging from Kendrick Lamar, Jay Electronica, Erykah Badu, and Nina Simone. Produced by Russell, it featured guest spots by Kamasi Washington, Meshell NDegeocello, and Chilly Gonzales. ~ Thom Jurek