Rachel Chinouriri – ‘What A Devastating Turn of Events’ album review: a strong debut that needs more self-belief
THE SKINNY: Rachel Chinouriri isn’t a new artist by any means. The indie pop musician has been about releasing music since 2018. But after TikTok found her tracks ‘My Darling’ and ‘All I Ever Asked’, she was suddenly boomed to new ‘one-to-watch’ status. Immediately then, having to face up to the pressure, she was determined to take her time. More than two years on from that viral moment, she presents her long-awaited debut, What A Devastating Turn of Events.
However, there’s a hefty proportion of the record that’s stuck in the past. There are old cuts here that have even appeared on previous EPs. They still sound great, still clearly showing Chinouriri’s potential, but amidst the new material that shows a clear progression and development, the decision to have them on the tracklist feels like resting on laurels rather than clearing the way and stepping bravely, boldly and fully into the new era. All in all, six out of 14 songs have already been heard before release day, begging the question of whether a debut should be a gathering of what’s come before or a statement of what’s to come next.
Because if the other tracks are a sign of the future, they’re bright. As she kicks into high gear on the opener, ‘Garden Of Eden’, Chinouriri displays a vibrant level up with raging guitar and full band glory, adding interesting textures. Pair that with the beautiful, meandering vocal melodies that wander through her songs; it’s a captivating merge. Proving herself to be a student of all corners of the indie world, it’s clear that the artist has taken the bits she likes and brought them with her.
But she’s at her best when she keeps the alt in her alt-pop. Of course, catchiness is key, but when Chinouriri finds her motivation is writing relatable upbeat, hooking ‘hits’, the loss of nuance on tracks like ‘It Is What It Is’ and ‘Dumb Bitch Juice’ becomes evident. Something in those songs feels a bit too trendy or of the moment, unlike the timelessness that will always be there in her best storytelling.
Overwhelmingly, the album feels like an artist ready to fly but still needing to believe she has wings. Or, maybe more accurately, considering all we know about the industry, she needs everyone to trust she has wings. She doesn’t need to rely on her older self or attempt to replicate the catchy success she randomly found because the voice she has now seems far more interesting.
For fans of: That t-shirt that says, “Hating pop music doesn’t make you deep”.
A concluding comment from Ian Dury: “How could I have ever known the future phenomenon I had begotten when I started spoken word verse vocals?”
What A Devastating Turn of Events Track By Track
Release Date: May 3rd 2024 | Producer: Rich Turvey | Label: Parlophone
‘Garden Of Eden’: As Rachel Chinouriri’s debut album bursts to life, the guitars roar with all the excitement that’s followed her for years now, and the drums mark a major arrival. As far as introductory statements go, this is a good one. [4/5]
‘The Hills’: The raging guitars stick around. ‘The Hills’ was a stand-out single when it was released last year, but as the first of six songs already heard on the alarm, it begs the question of whether a debut should rest so heavily on tried and tested tracks or be a new next step. [3.5/5]
‘Never Needed Me’: As another single, this one is foolproof and catchy. Chinouriri’s tracks prove that pop can be done in a genuinely interesting way, balancing the need for an ear-worming hook with interesting textures. [3.5/5]
‘My Everything’: Instrumentally strong but somewhat lyrically weak, there’s a delicate balance between style and substance at play here as the sonics of this track are what captures you, allowing the words to be a little limp. [3/5]
‘All I Ever Asked’: Released in 2022, this was the track that really made Chinouriri a star after doing uber-viral. Look, it still sounds great, but its inclusion here, after already featuring on an earlier EP, feels like resting on laurels rather than making room for growth. [2.5/5]
‘It Is What It Is’: Spoken word poetry meets TikTok brain rot. On a good day, when you need a surface-level girl-power boost, this could be good. But on a bad one, it’ll be a swift skip. [2/5]
‘Dumb Bitch Juice’: The same applies here. In these moments, the indie nuance is lost on Chinouriri’s lyrics, dipping into pure pop bolstered again by an interesting instrumental but not to the same extent as earlier tracks. [2/5]
‘What A Devastating Turn Of Events’: At her best when she pulls back a second and switches sweeping sentiments for spiralling storytelling, this is a lovely little outing that shows the potential of her pen. [3.5/5]
‘My Blood’: Swelling, genuinely moving and letting Chinouriri’s voice and vision shine through, all of her indie education comes to power here on this ballad that dips between anthemic and intimate. [4/5]
‘Robbed’: By now we’ve established that this album is at its best when it drops the desire to be catchy and universal, to instead be specific and contemplative. That’s shown best here. [4/5]
‘Cold Call’: A total change of pace strikes up as we switch gears completely. Chinouriri’s contrasting use of heavy guitars with delicate vocal melodies is captivating here, as if Arlo Parks had merged with Wolf Alice. [4/5]
‘I Hate Myself’: As a consideration of the vital topics of disordered eating awareness and self-image, there’s clear worth in this track. But once again, the powerful nuance in her words seems to get lost when the motivation switches to being relatable. [3/5]
‘Pocket’: Not her lyrical best, but a vocal standout as her vocals are pulled right into the headphones like a whisper in your ear. [3.5/5]
‘My Darling’: Again, this track was released in 2022. I see why this is the finale as it’s a beautiful little outro, but why not take a chance at letting new material be the closing remark? [2.5/5]
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