The Line Is a Curve

by Kae Tempest

Overview

With its growling synths, strong melodic figures, and resilient mood, The Line Is a Curve is yet another highlight for Kae Tempest. The London rapper's first two LPs garnered richly deserved acclaim and a pair of Mercury Prize nominations, while his third, 2019's atmospheric The Book of Traps and Lessons, saw him move toward a less rhythmic style that played more like one of his spoken word performances. The Line Is a Curve is less global than those earlier records and less brittle than its predecessor, instead dialing in on Tempest's inner conversations. His reputation as a creative polymath -- Tempest is also a successful poet, playwright, and novelist -- has always been at the nexus of his public narrative, sometimes distracting from the fact that, when in top form, he can deliver tight rhymes with a captivating fervor and grit. This record, a marvel of openness and resolve, marks the return of Tempest the emcee and no song better represents this than the dazzling "More Pressure." Against a shimmering synth backdrop and fluid beat Tempest slings sharp verses that detail the self's quest for release and wholeness. With its punchy assist from American rapper Kevin Abstract (Brockhampton), it's also one of many collaborations from an artist who traditionally doesn't feature other vocalists. Elsewhere, Ireland's Grian Chatten (Fontaines D.C.) offers his voice to the electro-minimalist "I Saw Light" and Britain's Lianne La Havas provides the melodic hook on the poignant "No Prizes." Tempest's longtime foil, producer Dan Carey, is also back, though he too is working on a different level. While there is some of the organic instrumentation (mainly pianos and guitars) from their previous releases together, The Line Is a Curve is better defined by its electronic elements like the buzzing, dark synths of opener "Priority Boredom" and the majestic "Salt Coast," a quintessentially Tempest-ian paean to the virtues and flaws of his beloved British isle. More aesthetically modern and approachable than some of his other records, though no less potent, this is Kae Tempest at his best. ~ Timothy Monger

Product Details

Release Date:	04/08/2022
Label:	American Recordings
UPC:	0602438639748

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Kae Tempest   Primary Artist,Vocals
Lianne La Havas   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Confucius MC   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Kevin Abstract   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist
Grian Chatten   Primary Artist,Vocals,Featured Artist,Vocals (Background)
Assia Ghendir   Primary Artist,Featured Artist,Vocals
Luke Eastop   Guitar
Rebecca Crawshaw   Cornet
Gamaliel Rendel Traynor   Cello
Kwake Bass   Bass,Drums,Voices
Laurie Nankivell   Horn,Cornet,Musical Director
Oly Carey   Vocals (Background)
Daisy Kelly-Granger   Vocals
Daisy Beau   Vocals
Gamaliel Rendle Traynor   Cello
Carys Evans   French Horn
Oren Marshall   Tuba
Dan Carey   Piano,Guitar,Synthesizer,Analogue Synthesizer
Archie Marsh   Bass

Technical Credits

Luke Eastop   Composer
Confucious   Composer
Wolfgang Tillmans   Photography
Kevin Abstract   Composer
Laurie Nankivell   Horn Arrangements
Confucius MC   Composer
Jamie Neville   Mixing
Oly Carey   Composer
Daisy Kelly-Granger   Composer
Daisy Beau   Composer
Michael Christodoulou   Design
Grian Chatten   Composer
Rick Rubin   Executive Producer
Alexis Smith   Engineer,Recording
Dan Carey   Mixing,Composer,Producer,Drum Programming
Christian Wright   Mastering,Mastering Engineer
Lianne La Havas   Composer
Kae Tempest   Composer
Amy Foster   Creative Producer