This album has been submitted by a user and is not included in any edition of the book.
When Smoke Rises is the debut studio album by Canadian musician and poet Mustafa. It was released on May 28, 2021, through Mustafa's Regent Park Songs imprint. The album was produced by frequent collaborator and executive producer Frank Dukes with contributions from James Blake, Jamie xx, and Sampha, among others. The songs "Stay Alive", "Air Forces", "Ali", and "The Hearse" were released as singles prior to the album's release. The album is self-described as 'inner city folk music' and is thematically centered on Toronto's Regent Park community. The album was shortlisted for the 2021 Polaris Music Prize. Mustafa began working on demos in the late 2010s. Formal songwriting for the album began in 2019 in London with Swedish producer Simon Hessman also known as Simon on the Moon. Following the songwriting process, frequent collaborator Frank Dukes came in to produce the album. His production was inspired by the Smithsonian Folkways anthologies of Sudanese and Egyptian music which he samples throughout the record. Additionally, tracks on the album were produced by London-based musicians James Blake, who contributed to "Stay Alive" and "Come Back", and Jamie xx, who produced "Air Forces" and "The Hearse". Mustafa has noted that the songwriting of the record was influenced by Richie Havens, Joni Mitchell, and Leonard Cohen, as well as Sufjan Stevens' 2015 album Carrie & Lowell. The album's name is in reference to Smoke Dawg who is featured on the cover art alongside Mustafa.
Unique and not what I was expecting, but as with many artists, the thing that prevents me from fully getting into this is the voice.
A very nice way to spend 20 minutes, and a great reminder not to judge an album by its cover.
Short and sweet, just like I like 'em. And also fairly unique in the modern sound palate.
When Smoke Rises is delightfully full. When All hits, the song could cap the album, but doing so would abridge the already baffling length. "Slowly grows" feels like a strange way to describe a twenty-minute disc; Nonetheless.
Some strong Bon Iver vibes, which I have nothing against, and it asserts its own distinct sound. Really interesting and promising stuff.
This was a surprising album from an artist I’d never heard of. It sits at the intersection of indie folk and neo-soul almost like Sufjan Stevens and Frank Ocean had a musical love child. It just works so well. The lyrics are reflective and insightful elevating this album even more. I listened to it three times today.
Nice sounding neo-soul record. I appreciate its short duration, so that feels like a brief moment of relaxation with some beautiful songs
Like Bon Iver but not as overrated. Pretty nice overall, not my favorite genre but I can appreciate it. 3 stars.
This was pretty laid-back, and provided a nice backdrop during my work.
Chill vibes and nice voice.
Interesting
Eh well this is boring. 2/5.
Beautiful, James Blake vibes
Nice and short!
Rating: 8/10 Best songs: Stay alive, Air forces, Capo, Ali, What about heaven
Nice, mellow listen that I enjoyed immediately. I think it was well-served by its brevity as the songs were pretty similar in tone to me and if this had gone on for an hour might be too much. But as it is really nice!
Very nice! I was glad to be introduced to this!
Nice
Very good, I enjoyed this one.
Nice, mellow and smooth. Wonderfully short. Similar to, but not as good as, Sampha who collaborates on an early track here.
Chill music
This was quite good, with a stripped down sound and surprisingly contemplative lyrics. The vocals seem a little off to me though. Fave Songs: Stay Alive, Air Forces, Separate
Way too soft-spoken and timid to leave a mark. Most of the instrumentals are relatively unexciting, and while Mustafa’s voice is amazing, the lack of dynamics means the whole album passes by like a soft whisper.
Smoke didn't rise for me. Something else did...
Eh. It was a short album, the rest was just there. No need to revisit.
perhaps too chilled for me
What if gangster rap was done by a poet. Well then you get this album. It’s full of street references and clearly appeals to a certain demographic. Mustafa a message is good and understandable but the way it’s presented falls a bit short with the soft tone and chill instrumentals. 4.5/10
Indie folk, R&B. Me ha aburrido. Un 2.
I feel like a jerk giving this such a low rating because this is one of the more heartfelt and sincere user submitted albums that has generated for me so far. I can even pick up on that as I just casually listened as I did stuff around the house so I can imagine if I payed closer attention to the lyrics and what I guess are excerpts interviews etc. but I really can't stand James Blake and his ilk or that style of folky neo soul or whatever it's called. Maybe I'd appreciate this more if it was some kind of written word situation.
Short and quiet. Very 2021. Rating: 2.5 Playlist track: Stay Alive Date listened: 29/09/24