Acoustic Sounds

Little Simz

No Thank You

Music

Sound

Front cover of 12 inch vinyl LP No Thank You by Little Simz including cover sticker

Label: Forever Living Originals

Produced By: Inflo

Engineered By: Ben Baptie

Mixed By: Ben Baptie

Mastered By: Ben Baptie

Lacquers Cut By: N/A

By: Mark Dawes

July 5th, 2023

Format:

Vinyl

Let Us Give Thanks For Little Simz

The Mercury Prize winning rapper returns with another soulful classic of UK hip hop

After dominating the UK music scene in 2021 with her epic, bombastic LP “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”, Little Simz (real name Simbi Ajikawo) wasted no time in returning with another magnificent expression of her partnership with producer Inflo. While her latest LP “No Thank You” was released on streaming services in December 2022, the physical formats, including a range of vinyl variants, finally surfaced in mid-June 2023.

Before turning to the exceptional Little Simz herself, it is fair to focus on two other chief collaborators on this stylish, emotive record. Dean Josiah Cover (aka Inflo) is the producer who has exceeded even his incredible musical achievement on the Mercury Prize-winning “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert”, while orchestrator Rosie Danvers has once again found the power and delicacy to successfully complement rap and electronic sound with brass and strings.

I think the synthesis of these creative forces on “No Thank You” is even more coherent than on the previous LP; it is not hyperbolic to assert that this musical team rivals even Isaac Hayes for depth, imagination, emotion and musical innovation. Inflo plays drums, piano, bass, synths and guitar on these tracks, as well as writing credits on every single song and of course, main production credit. It should also be recognised that this polymath is responsible for producing the prolific output of the Sault collective, Michael Kiwanuka, Cleo Sol and of course all the previous Little Simz releases that have led to this groundbreaking record.

Little Simz should need no introduction, but if her massive success in the UK has not spread far and wide just yet, she is one of the most iconic and multi-faceted UK hip hop artistes of the 21st century. Her poetic and languid rapping is distinctively monotonal, but her delivery expresses strength and vulnerability, defiance and insight, clarity and clipped London vowels. Her lyrical themes range from intimate family studies to justified outrage at an unjust, patronising world. Her lyrical work on “No Thank You” is as powerful as ever, and her unique vocal style has never been better captured. This is an artist who sets herself dizzying goals and seems to effortlessly exceed them. I can honestly say I have never been disappointed by a single one of her works. If musical performers can be deemed to have an “Imperial Phase”, then Little Simz has captured, sustained and enlarged her empire without putting a foot wrong.

This double-LP begins with “Angel”. There is a dreamy, hushed vocal sample and understated drums - a stripped-down backing minimal enough to leave space for Simz’ rapid-fire verses - but the seductive chorus arrives courtesy of the sublime vocalist Cleo Sol. Cinematic strings bring sweetness and airiness. “Gorilla” blasts in with brazen brass and a sinuous double bass groove, with Simz sporting a much more braggadocious vocal tone. When the choir burst in for a verse, the full potency of this track takes hold - but the tastefully minimal usage of these dense elements prevents the track from becoming crowded. “Silhouette” rounds off side A with another strolling, shuffling jam that floats around Simz’ syncopated verses, but the potency of the darkening choral elements and strings extend deeper into the composition. Another sumptuous vocal line from Cleo Sol leads into a coda of looming brass and strings with a luscious choral line “time… will… help… you… find… a… way…” and is reminiscent of the classic sound of Soul II Soul.

Side B opens with “No Merci”, a low-slung 808 jam lightened with violins which demonstrates the value of Inflo’s minimal arrangements. Instead of combining elements in a dense composition, Inflo instead creates discrete sections of each song where Simz takes a rest and the orchestra or choir step in to chime against Cleo Sol’s soulful vocal or a squidgy synth. “X” opens with a haunting choral theme and trappy, snapping drums. As the strings swell and the choir reaches higher, you are urged to consider that the cinematic compositions developed by Inflo and Danvers would have been ideal material for a stylish 1960’s spy thriller. “X” perhaps eclipses even the title track of the previous LP as a spine-tingling movie theme - when will there finally be a Little Simz Bond theme?

“Heart On Fire” is a gorgeous, slinky groove with exquisite male backing vocals softly breathing out an ascending harmonic sequence. Tasteful strings, a bassline in counterpoint descending harmonic sequence to the vocal theme, a sublime choir section - this track is a compositional triumph and an authentic autobiographical statement. “Broken” seems to be a companion piece to the previous track, this time with a haunting girl’s choir circling round a repeated phrase, harps and strings carrying the heart of the track, rimshot and bass guitar holding down the rhythm, while Simz invokes self-belief and personal control. Once again, an extended string coda oozes romance and cinematic imagery - the gritty struggles narrated by Simz fade away into an interlude that brings to mind Bernard Herrmann or John Barry, a musical accompaniment to a screen kiss.

Side D yells into life with “Sideways”, perhaps the solitary moment on the album where the samples create an unbalanced sound. Stripped right back to a rap line outlining human struggles over a solitary kick drum, the sweet backing vocals are chopped with a brittle cry that feels too harsh. “Who Even Cares” leads with a syrupy, deeply-phasered chord progression on Fender Rhodes, the welcome return of Cleo Sol, and a sweet surprise from Simz. Instead of her familiar defiantly flat tone, her vocal is pitched up, offering a lovely lilt and a more gentle rhythmic intonation. It is a truly gorgeous and deceptively simple piece of warm neo-soul that does not require the grander orchestral palette to bestow tender emotion. The final track “Control” brings a further surprise - a love song. Samuel Crowe initiates a delicate piano theme which meanders through Simz’ cautious, sensitive reflections on a love affair, heightened by some soulful male backing singers. It is a sweet ending to the album, a quiet moment that illuminates softer emotional tonalities after such a rich collection of themes.

My pressing of “No Thank You” is lush, deep, clear and dynamic. There is almost no surface noise and I had absolutely no issues with sound quality (more on this later) - higher end frequencies are clear and absent from sibilance or distortion. The midrange (mostly composed of choral and string sections) appears sleek and silky. The bass rendering is deeply satisfying; whether the low end is coming from an electronic source or a double bass, there is a balanced yet powerful presence to the low frequencies. This bass balance really absorbs me; the depth and clarity are sophisticated and not boomy or over-bearing, but I feel every pulse with force and precision. This is a fine illustration of skilled production by Inflo, and sensitive mixing and mastering by Ben Baptie - no less than twelve European recording studios are credited, including AIR and Abbey Road. The choral and orchestral sections feel spacious and truthful. Simz’ vocal rarely diverts from a specific frequency range, and it feels almost like a notch in the instrumental tracks allows her rapping to sit in a perfect space, unadorned, direct and intimate. At my preferred choice of listening volume, her vocal delivery is convincingly like hearing her speech in the room; on my pressing at least, she speaks her lyrics as though she is facing me, sat between my speakers, six feet away. I especially enjoyed the dynamics of this recording. The orchestral passages are rendered with engaging subtlety to complement the potent drumming and chunky electronics; the choral parts have a true emotional heft and soulful presence. This is a really rewarding sonic experience; the characteristics of the many distinct vocalists, the textures of acoustic and sampled/synthetic instrumentation, and the sensitivity of the arrangements impress me even more than on “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” - and that is high praise. The discs themselves are beautifully manufactured by Optimal Media (BN89955). The red/yellow split variant is vibrant and semi-translucent. The tracks have been generously spaced on this double LP, which enables the punchy bass presence. My copies are perfectly flat and regular, track smoothly, and are free of flaws.

The cover photo of Little Simz is fashionably out-of-focus (or alternatively, with the focus shifted to the organic shapes of the architectural background). The photo, by Karolina Wielocha, is a direct, candid image of Simz in a moment of movement and stasis. The sleeve construction of this LP is unfortunately impractical. An envelope-style flap must be carefully teased from a die-cut slot, and the interior is revealed by unfolding top and bottom sections. This was achieved with some trepidation. Inside is… nothing. No pictures or text, just a blank pocket. Tightly squeezed within this pocket are the two discs in heavyweight printed inner sleeves. If you have ever struggled cautiously with the sleeve of the incredible “Syro” triple-LP by Aphex Twin, then opening “No Thank You” for the first time will re-acquaint you with the anxiety of trying to get the damn discs out without ripping the card pocket. However, none of the intricate difficulties of successfully getting into this complex sleeve design even come close to the trials of getting everything folded back inside again. Those inner sleeves are attractively printed on clay-coloured satin card, but confusingly, both discs are contained within identical sleeves. On one side is a tracklist and acknowledgements, on the other is a dizzyingly comprehensive list of personnel credits for each track. I am not really complaining about this duplication; but I would have preferred to see the expanse of cardboard real-estate inside this package adorned with a few pictures or some lyrics. I even went back to my local record shop to ask if I had a wrongly-assembled package, but numerous Discogs users have also commented on this odd design choice.

Speaking of Discogs users, not all of them are happy about the pressing quality of the several vinyl variants listed online for different territories. Complaints include distortion on choral and orchestral parts, significant surface noise, lack of dynamic range and dull, muddy sound. I have already expressed my complete satisfaction with the pressing quality of my copy, but you may wish to explore other opinions before buying. And buy it you should - this is Little Simz at her best, supported by musical artists who have taken UK hip hop on to a new level.

Below is a six year old Little Simz NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert viewed more than 700,000 times.

Music Specifications

Catalog No: FLO00016LP (Red/Yellow Split Variant)

Pressing Plant: Optimal Media GmbH

Speed/RPM: 33 1/3

Weight: 140 grams

Size: 12"

Channels: Stereo

Presentation: Multi LP

Comments

  • 2023-07-06 01:07:18 AM

    PeterG wrote:

    10/10, really?

    On the music--I'm not saying she's not good, it's hard for me to calibrate as I'm not a fan of hip hop. But you guys give out very few 10s, don't the others sort of transcend genre, so pretty much anyone can listen and say "wow"?

    On the sound--no way for me to evaluate from my laptop, but just from the text it seems doubtful that this matches other 10s, which typically are worthy of an eargasm or two.

    So are there Tracking Angle standards for what makes a 10 and other number grades?

    • 2023-07-06 05:48:52 AM

      Malachi Lui wrote:

      the writer rates it as they choose, there aren't committee decisions on it. personally, i think this is a 6/10 for music and an 8 for sound, but that's just my opinion and rating scale and i respect mark's take as well. hope this clarifies things.

      • 2023-07-06 08:41:14 AM

        Mark Dawes wrote:

        Cheers Malachi, I think the comments section is at it's most useful when people share their view of the music and sound, especially when it is not in agreement with a reviewer's opinion. And to echo what you said, Michael does not impose a methodology on gradings - the reviewer gets the final say, which I think is refreshing. Best Wishes, Mark

    • 2023-07-06 08:37:11 AM

      Mark Dawes wrote:

      Hi PeterG This review and the grading of music and sound is my personal view alone. I am not aware of any standards used by Tracking Angle that control the gradings of individual writers or reviewers. Michael Fremer is a hugely experienced editor of decades standing, and yet he is very generous in allowing less-experienced writers like myself and Malachi to write about the music we love. To give you an insight into the process, I pitch an idea for a review to Michael and if he would like to see it, I go ahead and write it - but I can't remember a time when I chose to write about an artists or a record which I did not like. I am not averse to writing about an artist I respect but whose latest work I don't find compelling, and I would grade it to reflect that. I also wrote about another LP recently, Otoboke Beaver's "Super Champon", which is a superb slab of punk rock - but the vinyl pressing was a disappointment and displayed a range of issues - I graded it 11 for music and 7 for sound. (Remember - Tracking Angle's grading goes all the way up to 11, so my grading of Little Simz is not stating that I think it is perfect).

      So, given that you don't like hip hop, and you listened to the LP on your laptop, I would suggest that an "eargasm" is not likely to happen to you. I do like hip hop, I love Little Simz, and I am consistently surprised by her evolution. I think I gave numerous reasons as to why I felt this is a really highly rated album in both musical and sonic terms. Others will disagree. Why not chip in your own grading of the music and the LP? Best Wishes Mark

      • 2023-07-07 03:21:58 PM

        PeterG wrote:

        Hi Mark--completely cool that we disagree on the musicianship. I listened only because you gave it a 10. My concerns on the sonics were that you wrote that a bunch of people have real problems with them. I don't really think it's fair for me to grade Little Simz, to either you or the artist--if it's one of the best hip hop albums of the year, your 10 is good with me. But I do think you should have to make your case to a group of your TA colleagues before publication. Cheers

        • 2023-07-07 09:39:08 PM

          Mark Dawes wrote:

          Hi PeterG, Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it. I did mention the issues raised by others regarding the other pressing variants because this website is read internationally - so I did not want to imply that my “high quality and very enjoyable” copy would be the same as other seemingly inferior pressings. As I said, my 10/11 is not a perfect grading for music or sound quality, and nothing I say should be judged alongside other writers on this or any other site. Thank you for suggesting a “group grading” idea. Personally, I’m not interested in that. If I am asked to write a review, I’ll give my viewpoint. If Michael disagrees with it, he will probably chime in here in the comment section. If he really thinks I am wide of the mark he will not ask me to contribute further, and I am quite at ease with that. Michael is an editor, musical expert, and writer of undoubted standing - I am very privileged to get the chance to contribute to his publication. I do not take this privilege for granted. The idea that TA staff all decide on a grading for a recording… I don’t really think TA works that way. If you want to know what Malachi, or Michael or whoever thinks about Little Simz… wait for them to give their viewpoint in the comments. Malachi already shared his view and I respect that without question. But if I can return to the question of musicianship, Peter - what aspects of this album in respect of choral or orchestral sections are you disappointed by? I respect that rap is not your thing, but this is not merely a rap album. I would be keen to hear more of your thoughts about the musicianship. Best wishes, Mark

        • 2023-07-07 09:39:10 PM

          Mark Dawes wrote:

          Hi PeterG, Thank you for your reply, I appreciate it. I did mention the issues raised by others regarding the other pressing variants because this website is read internationally - so I did not want to imply that my “high quality and very enjoyable” copy would be the same as other seemingly inferior pressings. As I said, my 10/11 is not a perfect grading for music or sound quality, and nothing I say should be judged alongside other writers on this or any other site. Thank you for suggesting a “group grading” idea. Personally, I’m not interested in that. If I am asked to write a review, I’ll give my viewpoint. If Michael disagrees with it, he will probably chime in here in the comment section. If he really thinks I am wide of the mark he will not ask me to contribute further, and I am quite at ease with that. Michael is an editor, musical expert, and writer of undoubted standing - I am very privileged to get the chance to contribute to his publication. I do not take this privilege for granted. The idea that TA staff all decide on a grading for a recording… I don’t really think TA works that way. If you want to know what Malachi, or Michael or whoever thinks about Little Simz… wait for them to give their viewpoint in the comments. Malachi already shared his view and I respect that without question. But if I can return to the question of musicianship, Peter - what aspects of this album in respect of choral or orchestral sections are you disappointed by? I respect that rap is not your thing, but this is not merely a rap album. I would be keen to hear more of your thoughts about the musicianship. Best wishes, Mark

  • 2023-07-06 06:49:14 AM

    Adrian Galpin wrote:

    I'm in agreement with Peter, that rating a contemporary pop record as 10/10 definitely punctures the critical credibility of TA's rating system, and leads me to take recommendations here with HUGE caution, and not a little disbelief.

    • 2023-07-06 09:01:19 AM

      Mark Dawes wrote:

      Hi Adrian Galpin, I have to say I'm a little confused by your comment. You seem to be discrediting the entire staff and output of Tracking Angle because you disagree with my personal viewpoint. This is called synecdoche, where one single part of a broader whole is taken to represent the entirety of that whole. You are more than welcome to disagree with my viewpoint, but please do not make judgments about any other aspect of Tracking Angle on that basis. Michael Fremer is a writer and editor that you must respect for his knowledge, determination and style - to take issue with Michael's publication as a whole because you (rightly) disagree with me is just illogical. Not only that, but TA's grading goes all the way up to 11 like Nigel Tufnell's amp - so a 10/10 is not a judgment of perfection. So, you are entitled to your views on my work, but you certainly should not make judgments about the rest of this site as a result - writers like Michael, Malachi Lui, Joseph Washek and Willie Luncheonette (to name just a few) are provided here for you to enjoy (or be outraged by) free of charge. I did not categorise Little Simz LP as a "contemporary pop record" - that is your classification. While hip hop and electronic music could be contained within such a broad categorisation, it is not an especially useful way to speak of such music. "Contemporary pop music" could include Elton John, Madonna, Harry Styles, Adele, and many others, but they could also be described in other, more specific terms. While these gigantic artists are not to my taste, it seems a little unfair to take a generic term and suggest that under that umbrella, no artist is capable of 10/10 (or 11/11). As you may read in other comments above, there is no standardised grading system - the reviewer gives their personal viewpoint. What would be the point of having reviewers writing reviews if Michael came along later and said "I'm changing your 10/10 to a 7/10, because that's how I grade it"? Michael would never do that of course - but surely you can't wish for that to happen? Essentially, what you seem to be saying is "I don't like this review and therefore all reviews in proximity to this one are also bad." Finally, I would be interested to know if your critique is based on listening to the music and the quality of the playback format? Did you listen to "No Thank You", either in digital or analog formats? If so, what would be your own personal viewpoints? Best Wishes, Mark

      • 2023-07-06 11:46:37 AM

        Mark Dawes wrote:

        My fat fingered mistake - my comment 8 lines down should say "TA's grading goes all the way up to 11 like Nigel Tufnell's amp - so a 10/11 is not a judgment of perfection". Apologies, Mark

    • 2023-07-06 04:53:19 PM

      Malachi Lui wrote:

      i don't think rating a new little simz record as a 10 detracts from anyone's credibility, considering how big of a deal she is and how much acclaim she's getting all over the place. not that public consensus opinion matters, but she's won a mercury prize. she's not just some random artist no one's ever heard of.

      • 2023-07-07 01:09:29 PM

        Mark Dawes wrote:

        Following Malachi's observation, I now wonder what music the commenters here feel is missing from Tracking Angle. If Little Simz creates this kind of visceral reaction, then what music SHOULD be reviewed here? And is there anything wrong with an artist who creates a visceral reaction?

  • 2023-07-06 01:48:30 PM

    Michael Fremer wrote:

    This website is not a collective. I don't tell writers what to review or question their ratings. I am happy to publish reviews of music not to my tastes. Or music I think is not to my tastes. I think it's important to sample the tastes of others. When I saw that a Mercury Prize winner was involved it piqued my curiosity.

    The ratings are individual, not "group think" so Adrian, if you wish to question Mark Dawes' credibility based on his rating of this record, fair enough, but please don't question the sound ratings of every reviewer or especially that of the entire website.

    • 2023-07-07 03:03:16 PM

      PeterG wrote:

      Completely cool with me that Michael Dawes et al write what they want, and that you edit the way you want, and that sometimes we disagree. This is America, and all this stuff is subjective. But please allow a plea for you personally, or the group, to impose some sort of standards on the numerical ratings, at least on sonics, the less subjective of the two categories. I assume many readers are like me. We see a Tracking Angle 9 or higher, and think "Wow!, this baby has to sound just excellent compared to almost any other vinyl or CD I could buy". Or we see a 6, and all of a sudden "streaming in the car would be just fine...". It's on me that I misunderstood, and I appreciate the explanations from all 3 of you. But this discipline would also help protect the Tracking Angle score brand/reputation. It would be great if a Tracking Angle score was like a Michelin star--something we could all take to the bank as a standard

  • 2023-07-06 05:56:12 PM

    Jim Shue wrote:

    First off this is horrible " music ". Derivative drivel. I'm sure Pitchfork readers would go for this nonsense. Doubt it has any relevance to readers of TrackingAngle. As for the rating that's laughable on its face. 10/10 should be pretty rare imo.

    • 2023-07-06 10:16:00 PM

      Anton wrote:

      Were their any songs on this album that you thought were OK?

    • 2023-07-07 01:00:51 PM

      Mark Dawes wrote:

      Hey Jim Shue, I rated it 10/11 for music, 10/11 for sound. It's my opinion, and you've shared yours. Thank you for stopping by. Best Wishes, Mark

  • 2023-07-07 06:09:17 PM

    Silk Dome Mid wrote:

    Gave her a try. I'm apparently not her intended audience, but I found her voice disagreeable, so no connection. Rating the quality of music is a very personal thing, so no argument there, but sound quality (not on vinyl, as I'm not buying it) is acceptable for the genre but 10 out of 11? Nope.

    • 2023-07-07 06:26:02 PM

      Anton wrote:

      I think of her more along the lines of beat poetry. Some cuts are very similar to the vibe from Anderson Paak. They both seem to like including snare drums in their sound. Mark linked to her Tiny desk performance...here is Anderson's. I'd be interested in whether or not people like that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ferZnZ0_rSM

  • 2023-07-07 08:25:47 PM

    xoph wrote:

    Being okay with music being a personal thing, even though as a longtime Little Simz fan I disagree here, esp. when it comes to the Inflo/Cleo cooperation - this record just too much as a recycling of stuff used on Cleo and Sault records. There is too much clan-bubble-incest in here, unfortunately, and Little Simz has to move on and let Inflo behind to further develop. But there should be clear definitions and criteria for the sound rating. Otherwise it gets ridiculous. And the pressing quality of vinyl should be left out, or get a distinct rating. In this case, sound is good-very good, but nothing spectacular, so probably an 8, and 9 would be okay, which leaves two gradings to outstanding stuff. Most important is vinyl does not bring anything over streaming (other than vinyl sounding different, which is a plus at least for me).

    • 2023-07-07 09:52:17 PM

      Mark Dawes wrote:

      Hi xoph, I appreciate your comment, and I’m really interested in the idea that Simz and Inflo have run their course - I don’t agree, and I reckon they can still take their project further. But… I don’t really know what clan bubble incest means, however I reckon you probably have a vision of what you want to hear next from Simz - who is the collaborator you want to hear next? On sound ratings, TA is at least partly focused on vinyl/Analog formats. I appreciate your 8/9 view on the sound. I really enjoyed the sound of the pressing I was fortunate to obtain. I’m going to play the shit out of it. 🙂 I will probably listen now and then on streaming too, if I’m at work or walking, but I love the sound of the LP. Thanks for your insights xoph, Best Wishes, Mark