From a garden city in the United Kingdom blossoms an incredible musical talent called AJMW. This is his album, Loyal.
I’ll open with a rhetorical question: why did it take me until 2018 to find my favourite album of 2017?
I listened to a record number of releases last year since I started tallying them up in 2011 (144 to be exact) and I missed big ones like 4:44 (just never got round to it, don’t @ me). The only reason I came across this album was after my cousin aka The Auracle sent me a track when I was in need of a pick-me-up. And boy did it. But enough about me, let’s discuss the artist.
AJMW – real name Ashley Warden – hails from Welwyn Garden City, a leafy dwelling in the south of England. Definitely not a place you’d associate with hip hop but that’s the beauty of the genre. Last year, he released Loyal, a 20-track album of remarkable production. The sonic palettes on singularly and collectively is like nothing I’ve heard in years. AJMW weaves a mixture of tempos and rhythmic styles with searing synths and a wide array of instruments pushed to their musical boundaries and beyond.
This is an album for the audiophile seeking audible joy, the casual listener seeking relaxation, and the creative seeking inspiration. And even if you weren’t looking for emotions, you’ll find something in Loyal. That’s the beauty of it.
Stream it below.