Olivia Dean - Messy [Black Vinyl LP]

Olivia Dean's debut studio album Messy arrived on June 30, 2023 through Island/EMI Records, debuting at number four on the UK Albums Chart and earning a Mercury Prize shortlisting. Written and produced with collaborators including Matt Hales, Tre Jean-Marie, and Max Wolfgang, the album draws on neo-soul, R&B, jazz, and Motown influences while resisting any single genre label. It stands as one of the most assured British soul debuts in recent memory.

The 12 tracks are sharply observed and emotionally varied. Lead single "Danger" is a brass-laced portrait of falling recklessly into love, while "UFO" opens the album with disarming charm and "Dive" captures the exhilaration of surrendering to something new. "Carmen," the closing track, is the album's emotional centerpiece, a jubilant, string-laden tribute to Dean's grandmother from Guyana, who arrived in the UK as part of the Windrush generation. The song opens with her grandmother's own voice.

Pressed on black vinyl and released on Island Records, Messy includes a printed pink inner sleeve, an A2 foldout poster, and a sticker, making it a generous package for a standard single-sleeve release.

• Format: Black Vinyl LP
• Standout Tracks: "Danger," "UFO," "Dive," "Carmen"
• Pressing Details: Printed pink inner sleeve; A2 foldout poster; Sticker included
• Genre/Style: Neo-Soul, Contemporary R&B, Soul Pop, Jazz Pop
• UPC: 602455215895

Messy holds together beautifully across its 12 tracks, and the vinyl edition with its poster and printed inner sleeve makes for a satisfying physical package.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. UFO
2. Dive
3. Ladies Room
4. No Man
5. Dangerously Easy
6. Getting There (Interlude)
   

Side B:

1. Danger
2. The Hardest Part
3. I Could Be A Florist
4. Messy
5. Everybody's Crazy
6. Carmen