The Last Mixed Tape reviews Human, the debut studio album from songwriter Kitt Philippa.
The atmosphere of Human hits instantly but seems patient. Surrounding the emotion tumble and fall of Kitt Philippa’s debut record, the mood and tone of Human takes no prisoners with its raw, unflinching honesty, resulting in an album where the sound mirrors the feeling.
Distant textures, reverb soaked beats and intertwining vocal harmonies set the scene for Human as its title-track open proceedings with a lush alternative-pop production that ebbs and flows dynamically, highlighting the peaks and troughs of the album as a whole sonically.
With the soundscapes of Human firmly set, the glistening backdrop, gritty electric pianos of ‘You’ finds Kitt Philippa at their best. An emotional wrought vocal takes centre stage as the repeated line “I can’t stop loving you” is twisted and contorted over and over again with Philippa’s giving a heart-on-sleeve performance that is simply breath-taking. Couple this with a production that adds and subtracts at just the right time and you have the high-water mark of Human as a whole.
Indeed, this emotional turbulence that lies at the heart of Human is what makes is so utterly captivating. The way Philippa delivers a line is essential to rise and fall of the record’s dynamic meter. Whether it be to the pulse of ‘Fahrenheit’, the tense repose of ‘Untitled’ or the far-reaching ethereal layering of ‘Lion’, the central hook that keeps us invested is Kitt Philippa. Their voice, their words, their story, all culminate in a record that compels us to delve deeper into it.
Human is a stark bare-boned self-portrait. No stone is left unturned in a record that packs an emotional punch from beginning to end via Kitt Philippa’s deft turn of phrase but lyrical and vocally, making Human an album that examines both the internal and the external in a completely gripping way.
Human by Kitt Philippa is out now.