8/10

Since departing his formative outfit Vampire Weekend in 2016, producer and multi-instrumentalist Rostam Batmanglij was quick to cement himself as a fully-fledged producer in his own right. Following his stunning 2017 debut LP 'Half-Light', he was also the man behind Haim's highly-praised third LP 'Women In Music Pt. III' and even returned to offer aid on Vampire Weekend's 2019 effort 'Father Of The Bride'. Now he is back on his own terms to unveil his eagerly-awaited sophomore solo LP 'Changephobia', a record that continues his glossy direction and delve deeper into his musical pursuits.

When he released 'Half-Light', it was still very much in the fallout surrounding his Vampire Weekend exit, showing us that those particular songs were a forced necessity in his newfound venture. But these last few years of trying new ideas with different artists has really opened his eyes creatively, giving 'Changephobia' a more developed and well-round direction. Rather than pump out a broad and diverse array of offerings, this new collection sees him in a far more focused guise, presenting a rich and sweeping collection that sees his experiment more with instrumentation and create a far more enticing release.

There has never been any doubt that Rostam has been a producer with bags of talent for some time now, but this new full-length shows that his creative spirit is still very much alive. His solo material may not be the main focus of his work of late, but it still gives an outlet for him to showcase some of his most spellbinding work to date.