Ama Lou Sets the Bar Even Higher With “At Least We Have This” (EP Review)

Marching onto the scene with the politically charged single TBC, North London songstress and visionary Ama Lou is one of the notable artists leading the new wave of UK R&B. Equipped with a husky voice, riffs and runs, and a lifestyle split between several different countries and cultures, she has forged quite the creative repertoire. Not only did she self-produce her highly praised 3-track EP DDD, she has director credits on its accompanying short film, a true experience for those who enjoy the visuals just as much as the music.

Despite having once been told she’s like a 35-year old in a 20-year old’s body, Ama’s youth serves no limit to her art, the pictures she paints and the messages she teaches are able to resonate with all people, like in the raw and uncut Wire. However at the same time her music has a sense of authority, of unbridled confidence and a bold self-awareness that comes with being a born and bred Londoner; on This Town she declares herself the “best thing in that whole town”, it is this unrelenting air of self-worth mixed in with intimacy and contemplation that makes her music so alluring.

Ama doesn’t focus on rolling out music just for the sake of relevancy or for a spot on the Trending page on Twitter, as a perfectionist she has her eyes set on making sure each note, each hi-hat and each flow change can comfortably reach the high bar she sets for herself. Having released her third project on Friday, an EP that explores the sounds and genres that raised her, it’s clear that Ama’s debut album will surely be a gift.

At Least We Have This doesn’t take the safe route and start with a shebang, the first track Trust Nobody is a modest appetizer to the themes of the project; it’s an ode to the common introvert, an honest and stripped back R&B melody that takes the genre back to its roots. Her signature riffs are meticulously poured into the track but not overfilling it, with the simple and direct beat serving its purpose, to make you listen to the lyrics of the song. “I can’t find no peace when there’s someone else in here,” really speaks to the heart when sung with such soul.

Complimented with a music video directed by Ama herself and shot by her sister Mahalia John, it features Ama in her truest form, alone on a blank set and doing nothing but vibing. The black and white effect sets the tone and builds up on the modesty and humility shown in the song, with her intimate and warm interactions with the camera you can tell she’s entered a different dimension. Trust Nobody takes us back to the 90s while simultaneously giving us a glimpse into the future of Ama Lou as an artist, and the evolution of her craft.

"Blacked out bally and the new north face."

Same Old Ways exposes a facet of Ama which we haven’t witnessed in its full flesh before; her versatility. Being an avid traveller and feeling unstable when she stays in one place for too long, it was fitting that this track takes us on a pilgrimage around the places and cultures she knows best. We take a turn out of Ama’s hometown of Stoke Newington, which she dedicated a love letter to in popular single Northside. The production of the track is endlessly underscored with afrobeat rhythms, while the layered vocals and harmonies keep the 90s R&B motif that continues to wring its way through the project. The London flavour was particular nice to hear; “blacked out bally and the new north face” an earworm so familiar to we who grew up in the areas of the city that aren’t so popular with tourists.

A little Jamaican accent could even be picked out in certain places, keeping the song interesting and varied alongside the constant flow changes. After the travels however, we take a circle back to the LDN.

All I Can Say feels like a dance break in the EP, it’s a garage/R&B club ditty that you’d expect to hear from Jorja Smith or RAYE, but mixed and mastered to amplify Ama’s unique vocal tone and range. Using garage, a genre that defined London’s early music culture and still can be heard in popular songs today was a witty method to increase the pace of the 4-track EP: Trust Nobody was downtempo and solemn, while Same Old Ways was a little juicier but still not fast enough to bust a skank to. Armed with the catchiest hook in the entire project, memorable lyrics that don’t overpower the beat and the classic raver deep bass synths, this is definitely a track with chart potential. Sometimes I forget that Ama wasn’t a 90s baby: with a voice reminiscent to the ladies who used to grace the production of old school Nines and DJ Ikonik, you can see why she’s regarded as wiser than her years.

A subtle “Jheeeeeeeeze” can be heard in the middle of Talk Quiet. Ama Lou and producer BKay marry the two very different genres of R&B and drill in a tasteful manner on the last track of the EP. Melodic rapping graces the second verse of the song, her tone telling you she’s here, and she’s here to stay. Power and vigour is echoed through every word she says, every harmony, every adlib, the vim is potent but again, not overdone. She tells you to “talk quiet,” to stay focused on your goals while letting your results speak for themselves, a task that comes easy to the highly self-disciplined Ama. The beat is sharp and edged but gives itself some leeway to let Ama’s riffs and runs take the front stage, with the real star of the show being the ethereal vocals that bless the bridge. Catchy, but not too catchy, assertive, but not too intimidating, varied, but not too messy, the track is the perfect finisher for At Least We Have This.

Simplicity can sometimes be the best accessory, and Ama Lou’s sophomore project has this motto imprinted all the way through.

At Least We Have This is available on streaming platforms now.

Ama will also be going on tour with Snoh Aalegra in 2022.