8/10

Throughout the last few years, Adia Victoria has established herself as a world apart from those also pursuing a smooth and intoxicating blues vibe of late. Her rich and haunted voice has this ethereal quality to it, making it perfect to layer all kinds of diverse aesthetics over it, and giving her a more flexible direction than most. And it now sounds like she is moving into a far more atmospheric realm as she links up with producers Mason Hickman and T Bone Burnett for her third full-length 'A Southern Gothic', a record that sees her come into her own once and for all.

Attracting the likes of Jason Isbell, Margo Price and Matt Berninger to appear on this new collection, 'A Southern Gothic' instantly marks itself as a soul and country release for the 2020s. While taking large scoops of influence from her formative inspirations, she has managed to build this forward-thinking and progressive attitude to a sound that would make Nick Cave look on in awe. While the pace of the songs largely stick to a slow and meandering one, there is this bold and deepened approach to instrumentation that fills each out with a broad and euphoric direction from start to finish.

There is a solid consistency to this entire album that keeps it moving forward, but never feels rushed or overthought in any way. 'A Southern Gothic' is not only a standout in her catalogue to date, but also in her genre as a whole as she delivers a wonderfully captivating offering, brimming with exciting ideas and emotions.