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Spell 31
by
Spell 31 Image
Metascore
80

Generally favorable reviews - based on 6 Critic Reviews What's this?

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  • Summary: The third full-length release for the French Afro-Cuban twins Ibeyi features guest appearances from BERWYN, Pa Salieu, and Jorja Smith.
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Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 6
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 6
  3. Negative: 0 out of 6
  1. DIY Magazine
    May 6, 2022
    80
    [Pa Salieu] The Ghanaian-British rapper is one of a handful of guests here, each of whom allow Ibeyi to reflect the past and present simultaneously.
  2. The Line of Best Fit
    May 6, 2022
    80
    Each of their songs still contain enough depth of cultural heritage to fill several essays. Persisting too are those harmonies: one of the most distinctive sounds in music today, muscular and powerful when necessary, graceful and hushed otherwise.
  3. Clash Music
    May 6, 2022
    80
    Ibeyi has continued to present the bejewelled depths of their spiritual and ancestral heritage with great success; it's clear that their source is not only deeply personal but boundless too.
  4. AllMusic
    May 6, 2022
    80
    The sisters continue to make a serene and highly appealing kind of pop music informed by their Afro-Cuban heritage.
  5. Pitchfork
    May 11, 2022
    78
    On Spell 31, they rework their signature layered spirituals into fleet grooves that shimmer with color and joy yet still channel pain and loss.
  6. Uncut
    May 6, 2022
    70
    It’s an affirmation of their relationship and personal and creative identities in an(other) electronic-soul set with muted beats and a meditative, rather than impassioned bent, though no less righteous for that. [Jun 2022, p.29]
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User Reviews

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Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 2 out of 2
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 2
  3. Negative: 0 out of 2
  1. Arri37263
    May 11, 2022
    10
    Spell 31 is an album that focuses very heavily on healing. We have been through so many hard times recently that Lisa-Kainde and Naomi wantSpell 31 is an album that focuses very heavily on healing. We have been through so many hard times recently that Lisa-Kainde and Naomi want their music to be an instrument of healing. The album is very true to that mission and that's why it's amazing. This whole album is a ritual and each song is a prayer. Overall the album is solid, it shows so much growth and this sounds like it's more of a collaborative songwriting endeavor. We love that all of these songs are so unapologetic, energetic, and just a bit more fearless. Also, Naomi's vocals are so crispy on this, it's so nice to see that she is singing more than on their previous albums. Ibeyi is a duo that has constantly evolved and we have enjoyed their evolution. We are thoroughly looking forward to what they do next.… Expand
  2. hausoflilluis
    Jul 22, 2022
    8
    Very personal, but also public due to the curative nature it maintains. The Diaz twins manage to communicate the complexity of faith in lifeVery personal, but also public due to the curative nature it maintains. The Diaz twins manage to communicate the complexity of faith in life and their quest to heal. We notice it in "Sister 2 Sister" (between them), "Creature (Perfect)" (for themselves), "Foreign Country" (for the family) and in "Lavender & Red Roses" (for which it was a love) .

    fav tracks: "Creature (Perfect)", "Rise Above", "Los Muertos", "Made of Gold" & "Lavender & Red Roses"
    KEY-TRACK: "Sangoma"    … Expand

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