Self Titled

This is a deep and heartfelt album, being Kae Tempest’s strongest and most powerful statement yet. Instinctive and raw, yet tender to the touch, it demands to be heard.

Five albums into an already sterling career, Tempest has made no real missteps, keeping his catalog consistently interesting, emotionally engaging, and, above all, incisive.

It can feel like a random grab bag of genres, and the potent sonics are sometimes overbearing. Then again, the effusiveness does help to underline the hope and hard-won happiness that, against all odds, underpins this rich, compelling and timely record.

Tempest plods a little through his breakdown of the social issues – poverty and addiction – facing modern Brits. There is power and truth in his weary clarity, but it can also feel a little prosaic. The pace, if not the mood, picks up on “Breathe” as Tempest addresses gang culture and describes a scene in which he found himself with blood on his trainers, delivered over a jittery trap beat that recalls Mike Skinner.

It's often raw, venerable, painful stuff, as on the impassioned charge of "Breathe", but it's also peppered with moments of joy. [Aug 2025, p.39]

‘Self-Titled’ makes up for its musical instability with Tempest’s sharp penmanship, and it is difficult not to be raptured on their next word.