Ady Suleiman – Memories

A mixed if sometimes inspired full length...

Championed by the likes of Gilles Peterson following the release of his plaintive single ‘Longing For Your Love’ in 2013, singer-songwriter Ady Suleiman has spent the last four years quietly crafting introspective arrangements for a debut full-length. The end result, ‘Memories’, is a mixed bag of sweetly emotive compositions and predictable songwriting.

Highlights include an updated ‘Longing For Your Love’ embellished with soft strings and backing vocals, Suleiman’s clean falsetto over the undulating groove on ‘I Remember’, and the squelchy synth-funk of ‘So Lost’.

Yet, the intervening tracks bleed into one another, forming a homogeneous mass of earnest yet unfulfilling love songs and autobiographical narratives. Tracks like ‘If I Die’ play like an Amy Winehouse-style doo wop, without the heart-wrenching undertones, while others like ‘Need Somebody To Love’ and ‘Not Giving Up’ fall into melodic clichés, failing to allow Suleiman’s voice hold the listener’s attention.

6/10

Words: Ammar Kalia

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