“TANGERINE DREAM” finds Aalegra using a more conversational flow as she tells the story of bumping into an ex on a plane, falling into a dreamscape of a chorus as she is overcome with what could have been.Īalegra breaks her title track up into two near the album’s midpoint. Most of the project sees her attempting to play it cool and not let her feelings show, but being deeply affected behind the scenes, and this is the pinnacle of the theme as she continuously shies away from having the deep conversations at the end of a relationship. “WE DON’T HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IT” sees Aalegra taking on something that closely resembles a 90s R&B power ballad, the whole track coming equipped with a muted, vintage filter that Aalegra cuts through with some of her most deeply soulful melodies and heartfelt emotion.

Honestly, the complexity that Tyler brings to his work and his growled verses almost seem a little incongruous, certainly shaking the listener from the hypnotic state that the rest of the album provides, but hearing the two trade brief verses as Tyler attempts to lure Aalegra over is as good of a moment of levity as we could have expected. None other than Tyler, the Creator makes his first of two feature appearances on the track “NEON PEACH,” contributing his own production to the mix and fitting in nicely with his penchant for twinkling synths and a decidedly 80s-influenced style. “JUST LIKE THAT” continues the incredibly strong opening run with a mesmerizing and watery synth hook, the song itself lyrically simple as Aalegra sings about surrendering to the power of love, once again coming across as highly genuine – she sounds absolutely transfixed by a higher power, losing all functions but the blissful coo of her vocals. The giddy energy he infuses makes this one of the best tracks, not to mention Aalegra delivering one of the most memorable hooks on the project.

In any case, there’s no producer more instantly recognizable than Pharrell, who introduces “IN YOUR EYES” with his signature 4-count and ad-libs. No ID’s classic touch is felt on “LOST YOU,” Aalegra coming across like a modern-day Sade as a murmuring bassline, boom-bap beat and spectral, creeping synths paint a starry-eyed space for her mid-range pining over a former partner, somehow wringing maximum drama and real emotion out of a rather restrained vocal performance – for some reason, her desensitized and downtrodden approach feels incredibly real. The final part of the song stands out for its great harmonies, as Aalegra reckons with a fracturing relationship. The track comes equipped with two beat switches, signalling to listeners early on not to expect much in the form of traditional song structure – the project feels more like a vocal diary for Aalegra to chronicle her struggles and exorcise her demons. The album’s opening, “INDECISIVE,” packs all of her most impressive vocal moments into a pitched-up intro, breezing through some superhuman vocal runs with ease before the beat drops into some knocking, old-school percussion and fizzy stadium-sized synths reminiscent of early Kanye. While Aalegra’s straightforward, calm and understated vocal approach often works in her favour while telling these emotional and confessional stories, at times it feels as though she’s holding back with the incredible vocal prowess that she displays on some of her features.

A couple obvious standouts would certainly have been nice, but it’s just as much of an experience to sink into Aalegra’s smooth and sensual old-school R&B stylings that have been sorely missed in the mainstream as of late. Aalegra runs through a variety of wispy and restrained soul tracks about fleeting romance, opting for something closer to putting the listener in a trance than breaking through with a big and memorable chorus. As a result, her biggest album yet is stacked with a roster of all-stars, including legends like No ID and Pharrell as well as modern-day trailblazers like PJ Morton, Terrace Martin and Tyler, the Creator. One of the music industry’s most obvious masters at the game of making connections, Swedish R&B singer Snoh Aalegra has been steadily growing her profile for years, delivering standout features with artists like dvsn, Giveon and Alicia Keys and finally being signed to Roc Nation just last year – not to mention being praised extensively by the likes of Prince and Drake.

Snoh aalegra tangerine dream