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Mar 18, 2026Harlow deserves credit for veering away from commercial expectations, pursuing a fresh sound, and keeping things short and sweet. But praising an artist for limiting the runtime of a relatively mediocre album is no huge compliment. ‘Monica’ is an easy listen, something jazzy and inoffensive to put on in the background.
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Mar 17, 2026It is not a bold reinvention, nor is it the kind of aesthetic leap Harlow seems to think it is. But it is a reasonably effective recalibration. It works as a more flattering showcase for his strengths than the albums that came before it.
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Apr 9, 2026His lyrics and performances are lacking in original thought (sometimes clear thought) and charisma. The power and range of his singing voice are limited to the point where the musicians often sound constricted, and the mix is just as sympathetic, rendering Stéphane Clément's trumpet -- presumably the answer to "We need a Roy Hargrove type" -- close to inaudible.