Reviews

BY EL BROIDE SPOTLIGHT REVIEWS

« Uh, no «« Poor ««« Good «««« Great ««««« Excellent

FINE LINE HARRY STYLES «««« AFTER a self-titled debut album that seemed almost desperate to show fans that there’s more to him than teeny bop, Harry Styles has grown into his own, with his second studio album Fine Line evidence that the star has finally figured out who he is as an artist, and has accepted the idea that there are so many levels to him as a musician. It’s certainly one of the most refreshing pop records in recent times, and is far stronger ‒ especially lyrically ‒ than any of the star’s previous solo material. The growth Harry shows on this dreamy album is exceptional, as is the record itself. El’s Favourite Track: Adore You

THE RETURN OF THE SCORPION KINGS KABZA DE SMALL & DJ MAPHORISA «««« KABZA DE SMALL and DJ Maphorisa bring us The Return Of The Scorpion Kings –an album with some surprising collaborations and killer dancefloor beats. Another brilliant offering from the duo, the record’s production hits the nail on the head regarding local dance music trends, with each track slick, catchy and clean. And the collaborations work together, which makes this feel like a consolidated effort rather than simply a musical lucky packet. El’s Favourite Track: Hilili (Feat. Busiswa)

HEAVY IS THE HEAD STORMZY ««« WHILE he started off as a bit of joke to people, Stormzy is one of the biggest rappers in the world now –a position his second studio album Heavy Is The Head is only going to reinforce. In fact, with his skills as a lyricist he’s surely written some of his best work on this, which features collaborations with Aitch , Burna Boy, Ed Sheeran , Headie One , H.E.R., and Yebba . The album is punchy, entertaining, genrebending and show’s off Stormzy’s unique dynamic, one which hasn’t been heard in music before. El’s Favourite Track: Audacity (Feat. Headie One)

FLOW ««« LOOKING for a way to doodle and sketch ideas with ease? Say hello to Flow by Moleskine, an app that gives users the ability to draw, sketch, and take notes in a digital Moleskine notebook with sophisticated tools that are simple to use. The app has been built from the ground up with creators in mind, offering dozens of potential combinations for paper types, colours, and tools, and gives users the opportunity to create infinite width documents for uninterrupted creation and create their own unique set of drawing tools with ease of use and real-time cloud storage and backup for your documents and tools. This app is a must for creatives. App-solutely Fabulous

THE books you should have on your to-read list.

GROWN UPS MARIAN KEYES ««« SKILLED writer Marian Keyes introduces readers to Johnny Casey, his two brothers Ed and Liam, their beautiful, talented wives and all their kids. The Caseys are a glamorous bunch who spend a lot of time together and seem like one big happy family –at least according to the group’s richest member Jessie. However, like in every family, there are cracks –and while some members clash, others seem to like each other a little bit too much... But at least their secrets are safe. That is, until Cara, Ed’s wife, gets a concussion and can no longer keep her thoughts to herself! As you can guess, this spins everything into chaos, providing an hilarious, well-written, wonderful escape.

THE RUNAWAYS FATIMA BHUTTO «««« THREE very different lives are followed in this compelling read that asks burning questions about modern Muslim identities. There’s Anita, whose life with her family in a slum is changed forever when she comes into contact with her elderly neighbour, a man whose shelves of books promise an escape to a different world. We also meet Monty, whose expected path in life as the son of a man who owns half the city is drastically changed when a rebellious girl joins his school. And then there’s Sunny, whose move with his father to England has him feeling misplaced –until a charismatic cousin comes back into his life to provide some much-needed inspiration. These three lives, vastly different, eventually intersect in the desert, where their closely guarded secrets will force them to make a terrible choice. A moving story that is bound to keep readers on the edge of their seat!

WE HUNT THE FLAME HAFSAH FAIZAL «««« ZAFIRA is a hunter forced to hide her gender because all of her achievements will be rejected if she’s exposed as a girl. Her greatest enemy is Nasir – the Prince of Death, who has been assassinating all those defiant of his father, the sultan. Both have similar missions: Zafira, to recover a powerful artefact and restore magic to her suffering world; Nasir to retrieve the artefact for the sultan and kill the hunter. But on encountering an ancient evil, the two foes realise that their prize could pose a greater threat than either of them could have ever imagined. Set in a mythical world inspired by ancient Arabia, this story grabs the imagination and takes it on one wild journey, and is certain to become a classic with young adults.