There was some curiosity as to how Kofi Owusu-Ansah –aka Genesis Owusu– in what is usually a difficult second album for any artist, after that difficult-to-ignore wake-up call that was “Smiling With No Teeth” (House Anxiety, 21) a little over two years ago through compositions like Don’t Need You”, “The Other Black Dog” o “Gold Chains”. However, any kind of doubt disappears at the stroke of a pen and without a trace when listening (and enjoying) the present title continuation “Struggler”, perhaps less risky than its predecessor, but largely juicy in content.
The Ghanaian-Australian is intractable in eleven songs that mix – with an abrasive confidence that is decisive in their triumph – rap, indie-pop, seventies disco, soul and, above all, generous doses of funky with influences from Prince. That mixture that Owusu carries out with cockiness and blind confidence is, in reality, the main creative (and also distinctive) asset of the musician, who presents his mixture of genres embedded in a selection that has the majority of unavoidable pieces. “Struggle” is divided between aggressive and seductive songs, adding more than a few potential singles that stick into the listener’s psyche.
Happens from the start “Leaving The Light”, in which he (almost) approaches that type of post-punk that Sleaford Mods manage, while the shadow of the Prince of Minneapolis falls vertically on topics like “See Ya There” o “Tied Up!”. Other obvious targets include “The Roach”, “The Old Man”, the playful one “Freak Boy” o “That’s Life (A Swamp)”, while the mirror ball spins in the middle of the dance floor with the falsetto of “That’s Life (A Swamp)”. The violent artist forms consciously in “Balthazar” and, above all, in that direct to the jaw that is the addictive “Stay Blessed”, in stark contrast to the felt calm of “Stuck To The Fan” closing the remarkable LP.
“Struggle” It is, in short, a certainly attractive album, which not only avoids disappointing after the expectations generated by Owusu based on his debut film, but also confirms the focus of interest on the musician of African origin. His name seems, in fact, like one of those to be followed, on a list that includes colleagues by profession and coordinates such as Fantastic Negrito, Thunderbitch, Grove or even Curtis Harding. Although it could turn out that he was the owner of a special stylistic path, which would enhance his attractiveness and multiply options to crystallize in future deliveries.