Kali Uchis – Sincerely, – clashmusic.com

The sheer consistency of Kali Uchis’ art is something to marvel at. In less than a decade she’s now gifted us five albums in two different languages, honouring the distinct facets of her American-Colombian identity. Never knowingly overstated, the expert control and sensual nature of her sound has quietly expanded R&B’s lexicon, while reinforcing her singular vision. ‘Sincerely,’ is her first English language album since 2023 opus ‘Red Moon In Venus’, and it follows Spanish treat ‘Orquídeas’ last year. Working with alacrity, she refuses to let the quality dim across 14 radiant tracks of super-sensual R&B that moves from heartbreak hymns to carnal satisfaction.
An album is soulful consistency, ‘Sincerely,’ luxuriates in diamond-tinted sound. Slomo opener ‘Heaven is a home…’ sets out her stall: feather-soft sonics, the opaque arrangement revels in pastel shades, with its gentleness becoming a super-power. Lush landscapes of gracious, sympathetic sound, the album unravels by inviting you to slow down – ‘Sugar! Honey! Love!’ is adorable, while ‘Lose My Cool,’ is an ace piece of sub-zero neo-soul.
The chiming synths and pared back beat on ‘For: You’ put you in mind of BADBADNOTGOOD’s instrumental prowess, while the minimalism of ‘Silk Lingerie’ pins down attention Kali Uchis’ voice as an instrument of pure grace.
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The rivulets of sound that adorn ‘Territorial’ linger on the heavenly; the mellifluous ‘Fall Apart,’ is heartrending, but Kali then twists it up on the doo-wop leaning ‘All I Can Say’, a track the late David Lynch would surely have cherished with its extra-sensory appeal.
Finely sculpted, the album’s climactic arc retains the quiet intensity that makes ‘Sincerely,’ such an engaging experience. ‘Angels All Around Me…’ recalls Sault in its sense of adoration, while ‘Breeze!’ feels like a nod to some of her Millennial R&B inspirations – think the regal Aaliyah and you’d be close.
Closing with the loved-up ‘ILYSMIH’, this is a record that sets the lights to dim and revels in the shadows. At times little more than whisper, ‘Sincerely,’ strips away the excess to unfurl the pure truth of love. Another crowning achievement, it’s long past time we honoured Kali Uchis as a transformative R&B talent.
8/10
Words: Robin Murray
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