- "Sink describes the way I want my music to make you feel," Brittney Denise Parks said about her new EP. She's not far off from her goal. Using just a violin, a sampler and her voice, Sudan Archives makes music that feels enveloping yet humble. It's cozy and comfortable, balancing familiar styles—folk, neo-soul, hip-hop—in a formula that feels both contemporary and retro, or maybe just timeless. Last year's self-titled debut made an outsized impression with its 16 minutes of DIY soul music. Sink, its follow-up, emphasizes everything that's good about the project.
"This is my time, can't you tell?" Parks sings on "Nont For Sale." There's a newfound lilt to the half-rapped vocal, while the plucked violin arpeggio forms a halo around her voice. Fingersnaps and drum samples add texture, resulting in fuller and richer sound without losing any of Parks' homespun charm. "Mind Control" brings in delirious funk with drum machines and overheated synth chords. "Sink" doodles a laid-back synth melody over brittle drums, while "Beautiful Mistake" has the off-kilter thump of a classic Teebs track.
The most polished song on Sink is "Escape," which also feels like the clearest bridge between Parks' two records. All the old hallmarks are here: plucked strings, elegant violin sweeps and percussion that nods to hip-hop. But there's also a steady kick drum, lending her music a sense of urgency. Parks sounds relaxed and confident no matter what she does, but that apparent effortlessness is deceptive. The details and production flourishes grab you, even as you sink back into this EP like it's a beanbag chair.
TracklistA1 Sink
A2 Nont For Sale
A3 Pay Attention
B1 Mind Control
B2 Beautiful Mistake
B3 Escape