In a similar vein to 2024’s Mercury-nominated album Silence is Loud, Nia Archives' latest offering is an appealing blend of jungle and pop. It’s a strange concoction but a successful one. In case you don’t know, Dehaney Nia Lishahn Hunt is Yorkshire born DJ and singer-songwriter known for melding genres.
Opening track “Feelingz Go Numb” sets the tone – that rousing jungle beat is something of a call to arms. One thing Nia Archives doesn’t struggle with is writing memorable tunes – she makes it seem a breeze. “Around the Bend” has a fantastic guitar hook and overall sound reminiscent of Santagold. “Danger” might already be familiar to some (especially in you’re a BBC Radio 6 Music listener) and is the reason I wanted to review this album. An addictive, immediate and utterly filthy banger, its sing-song chorus is at odds with the content yet absolutely works.
“The Boys in Blue” is straight pop without the jungle and concerns a nasty break up (“To think that we/We shared a bed/Now you’re trying to get me nicked instead”). What a charmer! A collaboration with voice-of-the-moment Jorja Smith (“Get Me Down”) features 808 State’s tropical bird sound behind these two great singers. “I want to feminise junglism and celebrate the female gaze. I hope that other women and girls find parts of themselves in it,” she says.
“This Could Be” verges on ballad territory, before the beat kicks in. “Dance With Me 2nite” is also gentle in tone – full of the optimism of the first flush of love – it sounds like it’s sung straight from the heart. This one was written with Julia Michael (Lady Gaga, Sabrina Carpenter), which explains its universality. “Train of Thought” has echoes of early 2000s trance in its moody and evocative tone. The wistful “Tender” features Sampha and lots of hi-hat. In short, it’s a whole load of really catchy tunes featuring stories of a 26-year-old’s struggles with romance. But it’s definitely relatable for all ages.
She has solid back-up, too. Heavily involved in this album are James Ford (Arctic Monkeys, Blur) and previous collaborator and fellow Yorkshirite Ethan P Flynn (FKA Twigs, David Byrne). The quality of the production and mixing match that of the songwriting. Get a load of her epic conch shell headphones too (a limited edition of the vinyl has shells and sand within – but has already sold out). Time to dive in?
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