Andreya Triana – Lost Where I Belong review

Artist: Andreya Triana
Title: Lost Where I Belong
Label: Ninja Tune
Genre: Broken Beat/Nu Jazz
Format: Digital
Buy From: Juno Download

Already a veteran of a number of collaborations within Tru Thoughts (TM Juke and Natural Self) as well as within the Ninja Tune family (Bonobo and Mr Scruff), singer Andreya Triana finally breaks out on her own this year with an album and this single both entitled “Lost Where I Belong”. It should be hot property if this release is anything to go by.

Produced by Bonobo aka Simon Green, it’s a laid back and beautifully relaxed affair with a lightness of touch on the drums, acoustic guitars and double bass – pitching it somewhere between Bill Withers and Nick Drake. Triana’s vocals fit like a glove with this kind of backing as she takes her time over every line, growing over the choruses until her melody is joined by strings on a rousing middle eight. It’s delicious stuff, and if you prefer an even more pared-down version, the single comes with an acoustic version that let’s the melody shine through even clearer.

The presence of LA beat wizard Flying Lotus on the remix makes “Lost Where I Belong” an even more essential purchase. With Triana having already lent her dulcet tones to Fly-Lo’s “Tea Leaf Dancers”, the favour gets returned here as he jumbles the ingredients into a psychedelic stew, adding some cool vibrato to the strings as well as throwing in harps and off-kilter drum hits into the mix too. It’s easy to see why Fly-Lo has attracted such a legion of fans (recent collaborator Thom Yorke included), and he certainly won’t disappoint anyone yet another exquisite treatment.

Review: Oliver Keens