The Line Is A Curve is Kae Tempest’s fourth album and it must be daunting to release a new album after the great success of 2019 album The Book of Traps and Lessons. Tempest has always had a knack for blending personal stories with calling out for their listener to make huge changes in the world however, and this newest release does not disappoint. It is just as incredibly unapologetically critical of the happenings of the world whilst cleverly maintaining the feeling that the listener is catching a glimpse of Tempest’s innermost personal thoughts.
Tempest has always had a talent for making the most seemingly mundane moments in life a part of something much bigger and The Line Is A Curve is no exception. After my initial first listening of the album, it was the fifth track ‘Salt Coast’ that stood out the most to me in terms of this idea of small moments in a bigger picture. My favourite lines sum up this perfectly “I see you, scraping the gravel in your Air Max/So beautiful, so chaotic, so grounded/Home”. This is a description of a quiet moment in somebody’s life, it could even be in our own lives; Tempest notices tiny details of people’s lives and their words make the listener feel seen. They let us know “I appreciate your efforts”. These lyrics paired with the background music that has an echo of the tide flowing in and out keeps the listener grounded and prepared to listen to Tempest’s words.
The album is littered with spitting staccato words but some of the tracks are actually gentle too, such as the second track on the album ‘I Saw Light’. Although still very fast paced, Tempest and Fontaines D.C. frontman Grian Chatten utter their lyrics more softly than other tracks. Words like “flesh” and “blessed” emphasise these softer moments of the album sandwiched between punchier tracks. Chatten’s Irish accent adds to this soft nature of the song as with words like “chatter” and “matter” that sound different in his accent in comparison to Londoner Tempest. Despite this, ‘I Saw Light’ is in no way a boring track. The hushed voices of Tempest and Chatten blend perfectly into one another, neither overpowering the other. Even though this is a mellower track on the album, it is accompanied by a quickening electronic beat that keeps the listener engaged.
Overall I thoroughly enjoyed listening to The Line Is A Curve which is just as thought provoking as Tempest’s other works but feels more matured and observant than some of their earlier albums.
Tempest is about to go on tour in the UK over April and May and is coming to Sheffield’s Octagon Centre on the 15th May 2022.
Rating 4/5
