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“Deathless” [ft. Kamasi Washington]

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  • Genre:

    Pop/R&B

  • Label:

    XL

  • Reviewed:

    August 31, 2017

The latest single from Ibeyi’s upcoming album Ash features saxophonist Kamasi Washington

Ibeyi’s 2015 self-titled debut was filled with hushed, mournful spirituals dedicated to two deceased family members: their father, the famed Cuban percussionist Miguel “Angá” Díaz, and their older sister Yanira. The duo of French-Cuban twins Lisa-Kaindé and Naomi Díaz started recording Ash, the follow-up to Ibeyi, in the fall of 2016, during a “pretty dark” time for the world, as the consequences at the ballot box planted the grim seed of this year. “Deathless,” the latest single from Ash, was a song the sisters wrote because they “desperately needed” something, anything, that would remind them of togetherness and love.

A lot of artists have been animated by similar circumstances in the last few months, but “Deathless,” the loudest and most convivial song the Díaz sisters have penned so far, is more victorious and relatable than your average politically-minded song. From its open barrage of polyrhythms to the blaring synth line, the sonic canvas the Díaz sisters use here is far wider than the cozy spaces of Ibeyi. This is further accentuated by Kamasi Washington’s colorful, fluttering saxophone work, which adds detail and flavor to the corners of the track like a pastry chef wielding a frosting pipe.

Yet even with these outsized instrumentals, Ibeyi’s ability to conjure intimacy and vulnerability endures. The song draws inspiration from a time Lisa-Kaindé was wrongfully arrested, and they not only perfectly recreate the tension of that fraught situation (“He said/Do you smoke?/What’s your name?/Do you know why I’m here?”), but allow for heart-pounding catharsis on the chorus when they howl “We are deathless!” This is Ibeyi’s version of a fist-in-the-air-anthem, but with it’s subtle emotion and victorious core, it’s also the musical equivalent of a bear hug.