7/10

After a career shaped by large stages, international travel and collaborations with some of popular music’s most recognisable names, Sonny Southon turns inward on her new LP 'Rolling The Dice'. Written, recorded, produced and mixed entirely in her home studio, the album places emphasis on bringing acoustic songwriting into contact with subdued electronic production.

Her history includes performances at Wembley Arena, Glastonbury, the Royal Albert Hall and Montreux Jazz Festival, as well as work with Duran Duran, Bryan Ferry and Bob Geldof. Yet 'Rolling The Dice' doesn't appear interested in trading on those associations. It presents a more solitary form of creativity, shaped by personal reflection and complete artistic control.

The album’s sound sits between folk, soul and downtempo alternative pop. Delicate acoustic guitar and piano provide an organic foundation, while soft beats and ambient electronic textures widen the space around them. The production remains deliberately restrained, allowing the songs to develop through atmosphere and emotional detail rather than immediate dramatic peaks.

As it plays, the blend of acoustic and electronic elements is handled with care. Piano and guitar preserve the directness of the writing, while the downbeat production adds a modern haze that prevents the record from settling into conventional singer-songwriter territory.

But what stands out most is the absence of unnecessary decoration. It doesn't try to recreate the scale of her earlier career or prove the extent of her experience. Its confidence lies in reduction; by choosing fewer voices in the room, softer arrangements and a willingness to let uncertainty remain unresolved.

'Rolling The Dice' is a thoughtful and quietly assured collection, that shows an artist with a substantial history choosing to begin again with little more than her own voice, instruments and instincts.