- London’s FKA Twigs has released an intriguing four-track follow up EP to her debut in 2012, aptly titled, EP2. Since last year Twigs has adopted FKA or ‘Formerly Known As’ into her title after another artist with the same moniker lodged a complaint. Taking all challenges in her stride, FKA Twigs then set about recording her new record with Yeezus collaborator, Arca, as producer. The result is a cacophony of sounds and styles that ultimately align quite harmoniously with that of the trip-hop movement.

The disparate elements within each track and across EP2 as a whole work perfectly together and demonstrate an immense level of detail. The biggest hero of the record is FKA twigs’ vocals; at every turn she delivers striking harmonies and powerful melodies and remains the only truly consistent force throughout.

In How’s That a swelling bass and collectively strange sounds and noises merely provide the backdrop for Twigs’ vocal abilities. Arca too plays an important role here with bold production decisions that pay huge dividends by the end.

Effectively juxtaposing contrasting elements is a key tenant of trip-hop and EP2 achieves this far more successfully than many ‘pretenders’ within the sub-genre. In Water Me thin-layered effects build to an emotionally heavy chorus where Twigs’ laments a lack of physical love in a relationship.

Ultraviolet is perhaps the strangest track on the EP, slowing down in the middle to make way for a plethora of new sounds. This sonic confusion gives a sense that more than one track should have been made out of all the amazing ideas. Lastly Papi Pacify provides a strong ending to what is an unfortunately short record. The notion of intelligent pop is ambiguous at best, however in FKA Twigs’ case the label seems justifiable. She pushes boundaries in every direction while remaining firmly grounded in her own creative space, Twigs FKA will be someone to watch in the nest few years.

- Clare Armstrong.