philomenah - 'Aphrodisiac'
Shetland-born, Edinburgh-based philomenah is the latest project of the R&B artist formerly releasing music under the name of SMUT.
Having raved to the point of being a broken record about the Alternative/R&B scene in Edinburgh over the past year or two, the emergence, or at least re-branding, of philomenah is further evidence of a relentless wave of hugely talented female solo artists emanating from Scotland’s capital.
On the face of it, debut single ‘Aphrodisiac’ is a blissful and effortlessly easy listen which has the power to transport you from a busy commute or a bleak and monotonous office job to an altogether more appealing setting of a carefree float in a pool in a warmer, less covid-heavy, climate.
The crystal-clear production comes courtesy of RJ Cherry who does a sparkling job of adding to the dream-like ambience of the track.
It’s a bit of a sobering thump back to earth when you explore the song’s lyrics as it tackles some upsetting and hard-hitting topics. Themes of narcissism and abusive relationships are hidden in broad daylight but can be surprisingly easy to pass by at first without flinching given the contrasting feel-good instrumentation the rest of the track boasts. That the message is loud and clear yet still regrettably easy to miss given the background distractions feels like something of a metaphor for a societal problem when it comes to listening to victims and giving them your full attention.
It’s important artists like philomenah are around to tell their truths and because she’s undoubtedly a genuine musical talent who can keep flying high with the material which proceeds this.
Words by Richard Cobb