ALBUM REVIEW: forgive too slow – Julia-Sophie

After playing in a rock band for many years, being a part of dream pop band CANDY SAYS, Anglo-French singer JULIA-SOPHIE has released a number of acclaimed solo EPs. Critics and audiences have fallen in love with her alt-pop sound, so it was inevitable that she’d release an album that embraces that. But with forgive too slow, she doesn’t just embrace her sound, she expands upon it as well. With influences drawn everywhere from new wave to confessional folk to house music, forgive too slow is one of the most unique albums of 2024.

2am starts off with a deep bassline before JULIA-SOPHIE‘s enchanting vocals come in, making it clear that she is something special. As the instruments on this track – and i was only and i lose my mind which follow – are sparse electronic beats, it allows her angelic voice to take centre-stage. The beats themselves are all very different too; i lose my mind makes use of synths, whereas numb starts off with JULIA-SOPHIE monologing over an energetic dance beat that gets more intense during the duration of the song. As the album plays out she also starts to experiment with the structures of the songs. For example, falling leans heavily on the synth beat in its first half, whereas the second focuses on the vocals as the beat builds up during the final minute.

Although electronic beats are the main sound of the album, what makes this such an interesting one to listen to is that there are other genres mixed in with the electronica. As well as synths, there are also guitars, bass, and pop melodies, creating an eclectic sound that shows that there are no limits to JULIA-SOPHIE‘s sound. Furthermore, by having the sounds mixed into the main beats, it does not come across as sudden and it does not divert the listener’s attention from track to track. It only adds to it. The majority of the songs are slow-paced, even if they have moments where the energy picks up. Although it is a fantastic debut album, it does fall into a little bit of a pitfall in the latter half of the record where some songs sound a little similar, which is a shame as the rest of the album is very competent for a debut.

Overall though, forgive too slow is a brilliant debut. The blend of electronic music with JULIA-SOPHIE‘s mesmerising voice and the slow-paced, stripped back production make this a very interesting listen. She is also smart enough to branch out and incorporate other genres, showing that the future can be whatever she wants it to be.

Rating: 8/10

forgive too slow is out now via Ba Da Bing Records.

Like JULIA-SOPHIE on Facebook.