Souled out

"Souled Out capably buffs Jhené Aiko's strengths and shellacks her faults, but the moments where she steps out into the depth of her story transcend the synergy of a group of musicians with good chemistry. On "Promises", Aiko speaks to her daughter, whose quality time with her mom is hindered by the exacting commitments of celebrity, and to her deceased older brother, whom she petitions for strength in trying times. The heartrending vulnerability of the trek through Aiko's fears into a knowing acceptance of the fragility of life, the randomness of misfortune, and her eagerness to keep at it in the wake of an irreparable loss, is quietly devastating".

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"Sonically, the majority of these songs can be classified as slow jams, but Aiko deals with some form of relationship turmoil in nearly every one of them; given the amount of introspection, the album is most suited for coping with stress. Aiko can be maddeningly platitudinal and singsongy, but her one dimension is a specific balmy backdrop provided by no one else".

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