Flowing through jazz fusion, soul and swing: Audrey Powne’s ‘Bodies of Water’
Written by: Lauren Corrigan
ARTIST: Audrey Powne
ALBUM: Bodies of Water (2026)
GENRE: Jazz
RATING: 8.5/10
Melbourne-born and London-based, trumpeter, singer and pianist Audrey Powne is a testament to the strength and diversity of the UK jazz scene, evidenced in her self-produced latest album ‘Bodies of Water’. It is a gorgeous and angry project with drive and intention, delving into a mix of political messaging and personal reflections and frustrations. Reminiscent of Hiatus Kaiyote and early Emma-Jean Thackray, the work takes confident strides through jazz-fusion, soul-funk and modern re-imaginings of big band swing, delivered by an impressive cast of musicians. Her signature sound, established in her first EP and album, is still resonant but has developed into a more mature, decisive sound, with her vocals, too, more assured and clear.
As part of a recent interview on BandCamp Selects, Powne reflected on her writing process for the new album, saying she had “lost interest in being an [air quotes] trumpet player” and wanting to look at music and her artistic identity more “holistically”. You can hear this re-evaluating in the project: while her first album is trumpet led, with classical Impressionist inspiration evident in swelling orchestral string and piano accompanying parts, this second album, and third release, is more groove and ‘song’ led, embracing her multi-instrumentalist skills. The production and instrumentation is still full and lush throughout but has a bit more bite than her previous works.
“Swollen”, the opening track and one of the album’s two singles, is a great example of this new biting, angry quality to Powne’s writing. In contrast to the opening adlib-ed chorus of horn and vocal snippets, the switch at the first verse packs a rhythmic punch. With syncopated guitar and bass doubled lines sitting in an unbudging pulse, the drums, like in most of the album, range from Dilla-esque skittering to modern takes on swing feel. We are also introduced to Powne’s embittered vocals and honest lyrics, delivered delicately while retaining an earthy, grounded tone: “You gave me nothing, I gave you it all.”
Swaying, looser swing B sections with extended trumpet solos by Powne blend into the more structured head, complete with pulsing syncopated bass. This pairing of conventional soul and jazz time signatures, as well as the frequent overlapping of the two, flows together naturally, a subtle but effective fusion. This rhythmic fusing continues through the album, for example with sections of modern swing in the 6/8 breakdown of “RYV” and the B of “Creeds” and with the lilting, polyrhythmic track “Two Sides”, all nodding to traditional jazz and fusion influences.
My favourite of the album however, and in my opinion the work’s standout (criminally the least streamed while I write this) is “Karma”, a simple and stripped back song with pensive keys and stacked soulful vocals at the forefront. The anger and regret of “Swollen” is transformed into a direct resentful outpouring, still underpinned by a hope for the future: the lyrics look forward while mourning the past, haunted by “the shadow I can’t bury yet”. The wavering multi part vocals phase in and out of each other, complimented by the simplicity of the swelling keys. A chorus forms, repeating and repeating like a mantra, and backing vocals from fellow London jazz scene singer Allysha Joy can be heard over Powne’s stacks, in tributary pained adlibs which compliment the soft, improv-ed piano lines: the result is a stunningly beautiful track.
The titular last track, “Bodies of Water”, is almost like a lullaby, close to a darker form of Laura Mvula’s “Sing to the Moon” era and a call back to Powne’s own earlier work. The grounding of the bright tine keys, brush drums and clear vocals, singing “We’re all vessels for the rain”, closes the project with a hopeful and accepting, if not slightly wary, note, urging the listener to go with the natural flow of life. Encapsulating the emotional duality and harmonic richness of the album, “Bodies of Water” finishes a beautiful and human album with more resolution but still not a fully finished feel.
8.5/10 - An assured and assertive album, full of masterful and emotive musicianship, well worth the listen (or in my case many listens). If you’re in London on November 22nd, check out her free set at the Southbank’s Homegrown festival!
Comments