Denai Moore – We Used to Bloom

Much like Solange’s A Seat at the Table, Denai Moore’s second album We Used to Bloom revolves around personal growth and self-acceptance, documenting the internal and external battles she has faced to reach this point, and it’s a journey worth listening to. ‘Today, living feels easy,’ sings Moore in the first line of album opener Let It Happen. The track sets the tone for the rest of the album both lyrically and sonically. Moore blends classic soul music with folk rhythms and contemporary beats, whilst challenging societal ideals and personal conflicts to create a powerful take on modern soul.

Moore explores the internal on Does It Get Easier? (‘It’s the same old things that will bring me down / But I’m the only one who can turn things round’) and the external on Do They Care? ('Tell me do they care about us? / Tell me are we asking for much? / Tell me cause I’ve had enough'). Her voice is vulnerable and alluring, whether it’s stripped back on the delicate cover of Elliot Smith’s Twilight or basked in glorious production on Desolately Devoted.

The constant throughout We Used to Bloom is in Moore’s questioning, of herself, the world we live in and the way we treat one another. She cites the phrase ‘We used to bloom, now we grow,’ as inspiration for the album: it’s a fitting statement for an album steeped in depth, warmth and positivity.

Listen to: Desolately Devoted, Does It Get Easier?