Experimentalism should deliver a diamond in the rough. The chocolate and chili of the music world, some things work together when you feel like they shouldn’t. However when bizarre combinations don’t work, they should remain as divided as chalk and cheese. Maria Uzor’s Soft Cuts attempts to blend electronic, dub, dark ambient and a long list of others, missing the target. Genre-hopping is paired with demo-level vocals, leading Uzor to become a disembodied voice against random instrumentals.
‘Prophylactics for Pterodactyls’ lacks good structure, becoming a distracting track with electronic birds tweeting incessantly at you. Ironically named ‘Your Approval’ closes the album on a genuinely weird note as the off-kilter track floats off into oblivion. Uzor has drawn upon a wide range of influences including but not limited to UK garage, dubstep and Disney soundtracks, yet there doesn’t seem to be a thread to tie all of these sounds together, the album wandering aimlessly. Soft Cuts contains anything but deep cuts and maybe that wasn’t the purpose behind it. However, the record’s meandering nature prevents any revelations from hitting hard.
