Yasmin Nur - Slaughter

Yasmin Nur  isn’t one to be told she’s “too much”. Unconcerned with mincing words; what you hear is what you get and what you get is exactly what she meant to say. Moreover, she sure as hell isn’t going to filter what she says (or rather, sings) to protect your feelings or anyone else’s.  On Slaughter, her debut full-length album, we find Yasmin doing what she does best - laying bare feelings both big and small. Fuzzed-out, moody guitar-rock sounds fill the sonic space around her and set the stage for maximum audience catharsis. Nothing is off-limits for Nur, as her subject matter ranges from growing up a mixed-race child of an immigrant; to yearning for a love that is reciprocal and reliable, be it romantic or platonic. Unafraid and unapologetic, Yasmin explores a range of emotions across her first LP. Some moments are softer, such as tender tracks like “Fragile” and “Heaven Forever.” While elsewhere on the album, guitars wail and drums crash behind tracks like “I’m so Sensitive” and “My Right” -- songs that are made to act as unrelenting expressions of rightful rage. As a whole, Slaughter is an exercise in letting one’s self feel it all; the good, the bad, the intense, the ugly. From a distance, Slaughter may seem almost too vulnerable. As if perhaps we are audience to something too personal, witnessing something we shouldn’t be. Closer listening reveals Yasmin’s true goal, which is to share so much of herself that listeners can genuinely connect, feel seen, and find some comfort in shared emotions. The power in Yasmin Nur’s songwriting is that it’s real, raw, and relatable. The most inner workings of Nur’s mind and soul spill out across Slaughter, but intentionally so. She does this with the hope that maybe fans will see a bit of themselves and their own experiences in the words she so carefully chose. It’s orchestrated chaos, designed to make listeners feel either understood or a little uncomfortable. - Delaney Motter