From London comes Kate Tempest, a British spoken-word artist, amongst many other things: playwright, novelist and poet. Though not new to the world of performing and writing at all, Tempest is new to some of our ears with the release of her most recent single “Firesmoke”. It’s a highly-anticipated release that follows her previous three albums.
In this heavily pop-driven world, it’s refreshing and exciting to come across artists who completely reinvent music. Kate Tempest does just that with her work while still maintaining completely relatable material. In this new release, she speaks on how eye-opening and cleansing the right relationship can be. She openly addresses her female love and how truly wonderful falling in love with her is.
With its beautifully haunting prose that leaves you feeling warm and wiser than before, “Firesmoke” finds a way to tell the story of so many lovers while still engaging the listening in a unique way. Kate Tempest’s vocals echo throughout the track much like they would down enchanted hallways. The way she describes her love is comparative to how her work sits against currently popular music. It makes her feel alive and new. With a strong use of metaphors and similes, there’s no question in how she views her love. “Firesmoke” is just the first release of Tempest’s new album, The Book of Traps and Lessons.
In collaboration with Rick Rubin (well-known producer who’s worked with everyone from the Beastie Boys to Linkin Park to Jay-Z) and Dan Carey (known for his work with Sia and Kylie Minogue), this new record follows Kate through her life over the last few years. It displays growth since her last release in 2017, but dates back to before her very first release in 2014.
The Book of Traps and Lessons releases June 14, 2019.
