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Written by Andrea Domanick and KCRW Staff
Jul. 03, 2021
When listening to the remarkable debut full length from Genesis Owusu, “Smiling With No Teeth, one can t help but be struck by the sheer number of different genres between which the Ghana-born, Australia-based artist bounces at a head-snapping pace. There’s sludgy techno ( On the Move! ), synthy New Wave ( The Other Black Dog ), modern electronic R&B ( Centerfold ), retro soul ( Waitin On Ya & “Smiling With No Teeth”), political-leaning hip-hop ( I Don t See Colour ), and even punk rock ( Black Dogs ).
It’s an incredible feat, considering it took genre-bending artists like Bowie, Talking Heads, Grace Jones, or, more recently, Anderson .Paak, entire careers to cover this much musical ground. Yet Owusu who just delivered a powerhouse live set on Morning Becomes Eclectic keeps things cohesive with the common denominator that is his undeniable voice, presence, and lyrical prowess, making for one