West-London born and bred Sirach Charles, better known as Angel has recently dropped his latest album Woman and we’re totally here for it and what it stands for. The singer, songwriter, producer and rapper has released one of his most personal projects to date, providing us with some wavy R&B tunes that celebrate the women in his life.
On the 14-track project, in addition to his solo vibes, Angel has collaborated, amongst others, with Giggs, Eric Bellinger and WSTRN’s Haile to give us almost 60 minutes of genuine, soulful R&B that we’ve not heard before by any UK artist.
Speaking on the album recently, Angel shared: “Women have had a massive influence on my journey in more ways than one. Stuff like having a daughter and spending quality time choppin’ it up with my nan has taught me how to admire a woman – not just ‘a woman’, but more so the power of women and how much they actually bring to the table“, adding that, “Women write things with their movements that I, for the life of me, could never write with a pen”.
The intro of Woman gives us an idea of what the album is all about, as Angel sings gently over melodic piano chords “If it wasn’t / In defence of all those women / There’d be no you and me, no nothing”.
“No Flutes” follows, which samples Coolio and L.V.’s “Gangsta’s Paradise” and features Los Angeles R&B sensation Eric Bellinger. It is a catchy, chilled out hit ending with a snippet of a woman’s voicemail where she’s saying she’s pregnant and that carries us through to the easy-listening and pretty distinctive sounds of ‘Thug Juice’.
Following their 2016 banger “Rude Boy”, Angel and Haile (WSTRN) link up again for “Fly” where they’re also joined by Peckham’s very own Giggs. This is without doubt one of the album’s highlights.
“Nothing Wrong” – written and produced by the man himself, sees him putting a twist on R.Kelly’s “Bump & Grind” whilst it also samples “Honey Love” by R.Kelly and Public Announcement. It is, therefore, naturally transporting us back to the 90’s.
To help us rewind to that era, there’s also a music video for the track. The retro visuals show Angel and his female companion driving around New York City, dancing to the song, and even robbing a liquor store (Bonnie & Clyde style) together. Featuring colour-block outfits, lo-fi effects, flip phones and even a puppet version of Angel, you can watch that latest drop below.
On “Return of the Mackin”, Angel’s getting his sexy on, making smooth moves to his love interest throughout the seasons, sampling Faith Evans’ “Soon As I Get Home” in the process.
The next bop goes by the name “Night Shift” and it’s all about his woman. “Then I gotta go, I’m on the night shift / Even though you know I really like this / I tell everybody that you’re my girl / Even though you’re gonna ruin my world”, he sings and this one ends with another voicemail snippet, this time by his adorable daughter singing Demi Lovato’s “Sorry Not Sorry”.
Angel’s ode to the women of his life from over the years continues with a number of slow jams, including the self-produced “Patience”, “Love House”, “Waiting For You” and “Risk It All”, as well as “Woman” which is produced by Grammy-nominated duo Blaq Tuxedo, making for a really strong record from start to finish, which is definitely worth your listen.
Angel’s Woman is out now via Island Records and Motown Records, purchase it on iTunes here, and stream it below.
Words by Sofia Theiakouli
