What Now by Brittany Howard is a labyrinth of musical exploration, guided by profound self-reflection, yet ensnared by overproduction.

What Now by Brittany Howard is a sprawling labyrinth of musical exploration, akin to a voyage through uncharted seas where each wave represents a different area of Howard's musical experimentation - from the lively dance beats to the sultry jazz instrumentation and the soulful melodies that echo through the depths. Like a skilled navigator, Similarly to her debut, Howard guides us through this journey with a profound sense of self-reflection, each track a beacon illuminating the path to her artistic essence. Yet, amidst this voyage of discovery, What Now finds itself ensnared in the tangled webs of overproduction. The luminosity of Howard's vision becomes obscured by the thunderous cacophony of unnecessary embellishments, threatening to drown out the album's inherent genius.

The lead single ‘What Now’ seems somewhat out of place amid the album's fabric, exuding a driving sense of purpose absent in many other tracks. Despite its concise duration, the album imbues a sense of expansiveness, encapsulating Howard's most intellectually stimulating compositions to date. However, the initial fervour wanes as the album progresses, culminating in tracks like ‘Another Day’ where excessive percussion disrupts the ambiance established.

‘Prove It To You’ exemplifies the album's tendency towards overproduction, at times bordering on cacophony, detracting from its potential danceability. Notably, most of the tracks conclude with relaxing soundscapes akin to a spa experience, underscoring peaceful and introspective nature at the heart of the album. But sadly, the noisy and abrasive production choices on some of the tracks really takes away from these musical segue’s, as if someone came into that Spa and started playing Merzbow really loudly.

Amidst these complexities ‘Samson’ emerges as a hidden gem, showcasing Howard's skill in crafting emotive melodies. Conversely, ‘Power To Undo’ oscillates between slinky guitar riffs and distorted vocals yet once again showcasing excessive blown-out drums that dominate, ultimately this track finds its stride in subdued moments of groove as the track progresses.

The album's closing song, ‘Every Color In Blue’ seems like another departure for Howard, almost feeling like a homage to The Strokes, albeit late era. Despite Howard's celestial vocals, the track's denouement feels somewhat underwhelming, leaving a lingering sense of incompleteness.

This was a really difficult album to review. There’s no denying that Brittany Howard is one of the most powerful and important vocalists of the 21st century. Her voice is heavenly, a gift from the gods, with a distinct versatility that shines in abundance. She’s also one of the greatest songwriters of the last decade, and her ability to experiment with style and pull it off is more than admirable. However, on this record there are far too many inconsistent harsh moments in the production that really don’t compliment the serene nature of the vast majority of the tracks. Overall the direction of the album seems to lack the consistency and colourful diversity that her debut succeeded in so well.