Album Review: The Future And the Past, Natalie Prass

Having begun preparations for a break-up record, Natalie Prass ditched it for The Future And The Past, a response to Donald Trump’s presidency. The album succeeds most when it binds together these connected emotions of personal pain and political discord.

The Future And The Past may be anchored in trauma, yet it’s mostly joyful – a conscious effort by Prass to make the truth more palatable. The Spacebomb Collective, a lively house band of talented jazz musicians, oversee the organic instrumentation: there’s buttery bass grooves, soaring harmonies and summery flourishes situated somewhere between funk and disco. Through their inventive playing, they flesh out the aching soul in Prass’ songwriting.

On ‘Short Court Style’, Natalie fuzzily retraces the untainted blissfulness of newfound love, where human insecurities, fears and complexities find themselves confined to the backburner for the thrill of feeling newly alive. Her vocals dance brightly over an irresistibly silky bassline and sultry disco synth. “I can’t be without my love that I have found,” she sings in her trademark high register.

For Prass, it seems, championing love is still worthwhile, even in the face of toxic discourse. Other highlights include the piano ballad ‘Sisters’ – a stinging rebuke of the misogyny of Trump-era politics – and string-frilled ‘Hot For The Mountain’. With The Future And The Past, Natalie Prass has created a different sort of protest record – one without righteous anger, but rather brimming with heartache.

Rating: 7/10