In today’s competitive musical climate, it
would be nigh impossible to predict with confidence that an artist could sell
out two UK tours, captivate the summer festival circuit, perform the Euro 2016
BBC theme tune, and be shortlisted for both the British Critic’s Choice Award
and BBC Sound of poll before having even released their debut record. Such is
the reality, however, for 22-year-old Isobel Beardshaw, better known by her
stage name Izzy Bizu, whose LP comes almost three years on the heels of her
breakout. The finished product, (understandably) titled A Moment of Madness, is
a jazz-infected, modern-throwback album that expertly combines pop commerciality
with sentimental soul and nostalgia, angling for the musical space once
occupied by Amy Winehouse.
The record’s elated lead single, ‘White Tiger’,
is undeniably one of the summer’s catchiest and quirkiest releases. Bizu’s
distinctive vocals are complimented perfectly by an infectious clapping
back-beat, giving the track a summery skip that is oozing with energy (you’ll
find the hook, “white, white tiger, high bright rollercoaster”, stuck in your
head for weeks). The relentlessly effervescent tone of the single perfectly
personifies much of the first half of the record, from the Motown-inspired
stomp of ‘Give Me Love’, to the mischievous and breathless ‘Skinny’, to the
Marvin-Gaye-tinged ‘Naïve Soul’ and the Winehouse-eque ‘Adam & Eve’. It’s a
record that grips like a vice and refuses to let go until it reaches the
closing track, with each melody following the next in a similar impetuous
fashion.
While such uncompromising optimism provides cohesion
to the musicality of the record, it often comes at the cost of fatigue on part
of the listener, significantly detracting from the emotional intensity of the
music itself. The tracks themselves never sound less than aesthetically
pleasing, but the emotional impact they’re intended to have is consistently
flattened by the record’s unceasing and exhausting ebullience and buoyancy. It is for this reason that the few slower jams
on the record stand out the most. The wonderful ‘Mad Behaviour’ anchors the
latter half of the album, showcasing Bizu in her most emotional, vulnerable and
rawest state, as she croons for the support and forgiveness of her lover,
“saviour rein me in, don’t mind my mad behaviour.” Its followed by the equally
captivating ‘Circles’, a beautiful ballad that demonstrates Bizu’s vast lyrical
potential.
With A Moment of Madness, Bizu offers a sonic
ambition that very few artists within the contemporary music industry possess.
The record is a confident mixture of modern pop, delicious funk and soul, with
a new track to indulge yourself in at every turn. It’s a vigorous exploration
into Bizu’s various perspectives on life and love, and despite being exhausting
and lacking in identity at times, it’s an album that’s difficult not to love.
7/10
