The Singles Jukebox

I’d say an even [5.00] is pretty safe…

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[5.00]

Katherine St Asaph: And this would be the dated ’80s hell, I guess.
[2]

Scott Mildenhall: More virtuosity from Mvula, finding another soundscape around which to wrap her ornate vocal arrangements. The manifest mechanics of the synths are a great foil for that intently ethereal voice work: equally clinical, and equally stirring.
[7]

Juana Giaimo: I had to listen to “Safe Passage” several times until I could start grasping what was going on. I realized that the verses and the chorus share a very similar melody, and the bridge begins really early, at 1:14. All of this gives the song a cyclical feelings that makes it hard for me to connect with it. Even when I enjoy Laura Mvula’s sharp vocals and the very ’80s production, I wish there were more balance between the different part of the songs. 
[6]

Alfred Soto: Tight, with Laura Mvula sending well-timed staccato syllabic bursts over the synth chimes. Too tight: the production, hobbled by an idea of faded glamour, straitjackets her pleas.
[6]

Nortey Dowuona: Lurching, half dead drum beat leapfrogged by Laura’s powerball howl, the sliding synths and barely approved bass watching on the ledges of different buildings, eyes watching as new bridge synths try to bring them together but Laura walks back down the alleyway while the synths and bass refuse to look at each other, just regard Laura and the collapsing bass.
[2]

Austin Nguyen: The opening could segue into “Hang On Me” if it were doused in static, but “Safe Passage” is anything but drunk-call delirium. It’s the exact opposite: a kaleidoscope spinning steadily around the room in a crystalline reverie, soaking in the neon colors and HAIM-circa-Something to Tell You guitars as a mantra for confidence (“I’m everything I need”) and resilience (“Hold on, soon to be over”).
[7]