Album of the Week: Genesis Owusu - STRUGGLER | 2023 Week 33

“THE STRUGGLER RUNS THROUGH AN ABSURD WORLD WITH NO ‘WHERE’ OR ‘WHY’ AT HAND. JUST AN INSTINCTUAL INNER RHYTHM, YELLING AT THEM TO SURVIVE THE PESTILENCE AND LIGHTING BOLTS COMING FROM ABOVE. A ROACH JUST KEEPS ROACHING.” - Genesis Owusu

This statement from multi-ARIA award-winning Ghanaian-Australian artist Genesis Owusu regarding his sophomore album STRUGGLER perfectly encapsulates the energy and flow of the follow-up to his award winning debut. Nearly two and a half years on from the phenomenal success of Smiling With No Teeth that put him on radars around the world, including sold out national tours and playing some of Europe and North America's biggest stages, Owusu has cemented his position as one of Australia's most exciting musical talents, with STRUGGLER managing to live up to the hype of his debut while walking the tightrope of innovation & experimentation vs signature sounds we've come to know and love.

Inspired by the likes of Camus, Kafka & Samuel Beckett, STRUGGLER is centred around the broad narrative of “a story about a Roach, that runs and runs, trying not to get stepped on by God" while also being inspired by recent catastrophic events with Owusu saying “Through pandemics, bushfires and wars, we’re still going to find a way to make it to tomorrow, and I think that’s beautiful”. This narrative is channelled into 11 diverse cuts that expand on what we heard on SMNT. Owing as much to the likes of Joy Division as it does to Prince, STRUGGLER manages to ebb and flow from post-punk inspired sounds to funky, soulful slow jams, with a satisfying flow to the tension throughout the record that releases with meditative album closer, Stuck To The Fan.

With another massive tour on the cards and his second album out to the world, at just 25 years old Owusu's struggles have already put him ahead of where most artist's could ever dream to be, and we couldn't be more stoked for him or excited about what's coming next. Stay tuned for our feature interview with Owusu dropping soon!

The best of the rest of this week's records:

Giggs - Zero Tolerance [No BS Music Limited] ENG

Hip Hop

Gretta Ray - Positive Spin [EMI] AUS

Pop

jacob - The Rock Band [Resist Records] AUS

Rock / Punk

Margaret Glaspy - Echo The Diamond [ATO Records / PIAS] USA

Rock / Folk

Osees - Intercepted Message [In The Red Records] USA

Rock / Alternative

Shamir - Homo Anxietatem [Kill Rock Stars] USA

Alternative

Tash Sultana - Sugar EP [Lonely Land Records] AUS

Indie / Alternative

Tia Gostelow - Head Noise [Lovely Records] AUS

Pop

Winten - Waving To My Girl [Winten] AUS

Alternative / Pop