Hi, everyone. Fastthony Boytano here, the internet's busiest music nerd. It's time for a review of this new Nia Archives album, Silence Is Loud.

Producer, DJ, singer, songwriter, Nia Archives new album, debut album, in fact. She has quickly become one of the most promising new names to come out of the UK in a minute. If you guys remember her Sunrise Bang Ur Head Against Tha Wall EP was one of my favorites of last year. She has slowly been building up to this moment in her career where she's dropping a full length with some shorter releases, a lot of singles, a lot of demo cuts.

Now that we're finally here, after years of Nia taking the time to develop and hone her sound, we can now bask in a new artist who has found their way stylistically, sonically, because that is most definitely the path Nia is on with this record, bringing back a lot of old-school combinations of jungle and super melodic and sweet drum and bass, then topping that with vocals that flirt with notes of indie pop, neo-soul, vocal jazz, RnB, which one you're getting really depends on the track.

While this throwback UK dance music and dance pop fusion has been seeing a resurgence as of late in the mainstream through overnight sensations such as PinkPantheress, don't take Nia simply as another part of that trend because what she's doing on this record seems a lot less bedroom and more authentic to a club setting, something like that.

But still listening to these songs, I think Nia on some level is shooting for some crossover appeal here, which is a tough balancing act for sure because there could be songs on this thing that are just too sugary for the fanatical junglist or maybe too rhythmically dizzying for the pop aficionados. Personally, I think she pulls it off well with 13 tracks that run at a very tight 35 minutes.

If there is any major shortcoming right away to be noticed on this record, it's that there are some tracks that I just wish I got more from lengthwise, development-wise, especially on songs like "Out of Options," as well as "Killjoy," toward the end of the record, where we do see some pretty important narrative developments to this falling out of love progression that the album has. Things romantically on these songs are very much hitting a wall, coming to a head. These tracks, I also think, bring some pretty cool chord progression and instrumental palate variations to the tracklist that are absolutely necessary to keep it from sounding one note. But I just wish there was more, again, progression on the back end of these tracks and that Nia had a bit more to say lyrically.

Beyond that, my only other major nitpick would be is that it's clear that Nia is still a little bit in the incubation stage. Her vocals aren't fully where they need to be sometimes. As occasionally on these cool descending lines that she'll hit, she does throw out a somewhat flat note or two. And on the track "Blind Devotion," specifically, when she writes herself into her upper range on this one, it's clear that her ambitions are much greater than her abilities here. However, this is most likely a hurdle she can overcome with time or more takes. And also, I do get that given Nia's very raw and frantic sound on this record, it doesn't necessitate that she be delivering the cleanest, most pristine, most touched-up vocal performances of all time. It's actually refreshing to hear somebody who is just laying it all out there in an age where it's just so rare that you hear a mainstream album with some real damn singing on it.

All that being said, though, the vast majority of the tracks on this thing are fun, are memorable, are emotionally engaging, are impressive, are catchy, and it's pretty much everything I would want out of a debut. An introduction that shows me the strengths of the artist, but simultaneously leaves me wanting more in a way that has me excited for what they do next.

The title track of this thing sets the tone for the entire album very well with lots of laser effects, bustling beats, driving kicks to and these absolutely sunburn lead vocals and synthesizer layers that just really sop up the high end of the song. The whole thing feels explosive, joyous, warm, and a little oppressive, like the heat and humidity summer. Even if the vocals are a bit fried in the mix, it makes it that much cooler to hear the tune of this track in a different context with some cooler pianos and more space during a reprise version of this song later on the record.

The next few tracks on the album really tear open the relationship narratives on the LP. The track "Cards on the Table" embraces openness and honesty with lots of lovey-dovey acoustic guitars, cutesy synthesizers, bright youthful vocal harmonies, too, which all somehow match very well with the speedy, crispy breakbeats firing off in the background. Meanwhile, unfinished business sees things already taking a somewhat dark turn as Nia comes to realize this person is hung up on something in their past.

And this story is told over more sticky synth leads, sparkling arpeggios, and break beats that absolutely will not quit. I also admire just how hooky and memorable the refrains are on this track, despite the fact that they are so long and just are so lyrically dense. Then one of main singles to this record, "Crowded Rooms," is really like an introvert's anthem.

"I feel so lonely in crowded rooms."

Nia is just dropping one tune after another on this thing as if it's effortless. Which is exactly what I was hoping she would be able to pull off given how good her last EP was. "Forbidden Feelings" sees a pretty significant change up in the tracklist given that it is an older track in her back catalog. It's still fine. It's still listenable. I would have preferred to hear something a bit fresher, especially since it's clear the song comes from a time where she wasn't being as ambitious in terms of lyrics and song structure and was still finding herself vocally a bit, too.

We are back on track, though, with songs like "Tell Me What It's Like," which there is a really sinister undertone to this one, specifically due to that chord progression and gargantuan bass. The pumping kicks and sampled bed-squeeks are a nice touch as well. Again, I like how this track further adds to those love on the rocks narratives throughout the record, talking about someone looking for love that, in fact, is not there.

On "Nightmare," we have a bit of a betrayal story going on, saying, "You hurt me. I ain't dreaming / Nightmare don't just happen in your sleep." Meanwhile, "F.A.M.I.L.Y." further adds to this sense across the record that one does not belong or is having a hard time finding their place. Even among her own family, Nia is having a hard time connecting, identifying, fitting in. It's just interesting how, no matter how painful the topics on this record get, she always finds a way to spin it into a really sharp hook. Separating yourself from people and from situations that are bad for you becomes a theme with this track, with the closer too, "So Tell Me..." where Nia is directly asking, "Why should she stay despite all the mistreatment, despite all the unhappiness?" Of course, we have more standout vocals and break beats hitting on this track, but I love how the instrument documentation between those two bookends just feels so gentle, sentimental, melancholic, nostalgic, too, in the way that a postal service song is, especially with this wheezy synthesizer leads after the first leg.

Though I will add this track is also a previously released song from Nia. It was on the EP she came out with last year. However, in this case, I feel like vocally and production-wise, this one can actually go toe to toe with a lot of her newer cuts and on top of it. The lyrical content here makes it fit in pretty snuggly with what she's saying and singing about on pretty much every other cut here.

Despite a handful of tracks, I just thought were okay and one that I especially was not into, though it was super short. I really loved the majority of songs Nia had to offer on this record, and I thought it had strong moments throughout the tracklist.

I'm feeling a strong 7 to a light 8 on this thing.

Anthony Fantano, Nia Archives, Forever.