Nilüfer Yanya: Painless – 2022 – Brilliant Deluxe Album

Review zu Nilüfer Yanya: Painless – Album – 2022
Facts:
Nilüfer Yanya

Artist: Nilüfer Yanya
Country of Origin: London, UK
Title: Painless (Deluxe version)
Format: Album (Streaming, Download)
Release Date: Dec. 14, 2022
Label: ATO Records (PIAS)
Genre: Alternative
18 Tracks • 01h 12m 24s

Hi-res 42

At qobuz available in Hi-res
24 Bits / 44.1 kHz – Stereo

German Flag 42

For the German translation of
this review >>> click here <<<

About the album

Nilüfer Yanya has released the deluxe version of her critically acclaimed sophomore album PAINLESS on December 14, 2022 via ATO Records. Coinciding with the release therer are two performance videos from Nilüfer for the reinterpreted songs „shameless“ and „chase me“ included in the deluxe version.

The deluxe album also features a reworked version of „midnight sun,“ remixes of „midnight sun“ by Sampha and King Krule, and Nilüfer’s cover of PJ Harvey’s „rid of me.“ The PAINLESS original release from March 04, 2022 was also recently voted Album of the Year 2022 by BBC Radio 6 Music’s Tom Robinson.

PAINLESS has been consistently hailed as one of the standout albums of 2022. It was ranked as one of the best albums of 2022 by The Guardian, The Forty Five, Crack Magazine, Esquire, Vogue, Pitchfork, CLASH, The New York Times, NPR and others. Nilüfer also premiered six songs from the project in a „From The Basement“ video special produced by Nigel Godrich on December 13, 2022.

Upon its release, PAINLESS received the „Best New Music“ stamp from Pitchfork. The album features standout tracks ‚anotherlife‘, ’stabilise‘ and the original version of ‚midnight sun‘, which Nilüfer performed on Jimmy Fallon’s’Tonight Show. With PAINLESS, Nilüfer plunges headfirst into the depths of emotional vulnerability.

The album was recorded in a basement studio in Stoke Newington and at Riverfish Music in Penzance, UK with her producer Will Archer, DEEK Recordings founder Bullion, Big Thief producer Andrew Sarlo and musician Jazzi Bobbi. PAINLESS follows her acclaimed 2019 debut album „Miss Universe“ and her 2021 EP „Feeling Lucky?“ on which Nilüfer further explored her fascination with ’90s alt-rock tunes and also themes of resentment, her fear of flying, and the concept of happiness.

About Nilüfer Yanya

The daughter of two visual artists (her Irish-Barbadian mother is a textile designer, and her Turkish-born father’s work is on display at the British Museum), Nilüfer Yanya’s career has always been one of creativity.

Nilüfer Yanya

While Nilüfer’s March 2019 debut album „Miss Universe“ stretched her own musical boundaries, exploring a variety of styles beyond all limitations, from smooth jazz melodies to radio-friendly pop, PAINLESS takes a far more direct musical approach.

Reducing her previously wide-ranging palette to a handful of robust ideas manifested with melancholic harmonies and looped industrial beats that mimic the insular focus of the lyrics, Nilüfer has smoothed out the idiosyncrasies of previous releases with the PAINLESS release, but without neglecting her very own individual trademark.

PAINLESS is an album that forces us, as fans and listeners, to deal intensively, without reservation, with the interactions of the discomforting themes Nilüfer Yanya addresses both musically and lyrically, such as the failure of a relationship, coping with loneliness, or the search for one’s own self.

Because these are the very big challenges that life offers us, PAINLESS is an album about feelings, as Yanya explains. „I think it’s more open than Miss Universe because there are so many covers and sleeves in this concept that I draped around it.“ She sums it all up very expertly with one succinct sentence, „I’m not so afraid to admit my feelings.“

The Bottom Line

With PAINLESS, Nilüfer Yanya has created an album that can truly inspire, although several run-throughs are required before the sometimes barbed songs bite into the listener’s auditory canal. In the middle of June 2022 I became aware of Nilüfer because of the KEXP live gig and in the following time I came across her videos more and more.

With her half-hour gig at „From The Basement“ on December 7, 2022, Nilüfer had me hooked completely. I have made this fantastic gig available to you below, and after that you won’t be able to get Nilüfer out of your head.
The album is available on Qobuz in 24 bit / 44.1 kHz hi-res format and sounds dignified and noble over the entire frequency spectrum. You can also buy the album there in hi-res format.

Rating

  • Resolution: 24 Bit / 44.1 kHz
  • Höhen / Treble
  • Mitten / Mids
  • Bass
  • Räumlichkeit / Spaciality
  • Music
  • Video Performance
  • Video Quality
4.9

The Bottom Line (max 5 out of 5 Stars!)

94610507 800

Listen & Buy

Nilüfer Yanya Full Set | From The Basement – Video

My Testequipment:

Studio 1 (High End):

  • 2 x System Audio SA Mantra 50 (front)
  • 1x System Audio SA Mantra 10 AV (center)
  • 2x System Audio SA Legend 5 (Rear)
  • 1 x System Audio Saxo 10 (Subwoofer)
  • 4 x Onkyo SKH-410 (B) (Dolby Atmos)
  • Auralic Altair (Audio Streaming Client mit max. 32 Bit / 384 kHz)
  • NVIDIA Shield Pro mit Plex, Kodi (max 192 kHz für  Audio, Tidal (MQA Streaming Client)
  • AppleTV 4K (Streaming Client) Dolby Atmos, HDR, Dolby Vision
  • Amazon Cube 4K (Streaming Client) Dolby Atmos (restricted), HDR, Dolby Vision
  • Panasonic DP-UB9004 (4K UHD Player) Dolby Atmos, HDR, Dolby Vision
  • Oppo UDP-203 (4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Player) Dolby Atmos, HDR, Dolby Vision
  • Yamaha CX-A5100 (Preamp) 4K, Dolby Atmos, Hi-res
  • Yamaha MX -A5000 (Power Amp)
  • Sony KD-55A1 (TV) 4K OLED, HDR, Dolby Vision

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