Dawn Richard – 'Creole Culture' review: a loud love letter to New Orleans
After two quiet collaborative albums, the singer returns to danceable electro-pop. Pitchfork gives it 7.4 out of 10, and Paste is thrilled.
Photo: Alexander Vaughn / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (cropped and resized)
Single video: YouTube · Dawn Richard · youtube.com
Single: only fans
Dawn Richard released her seventh solo album, 'Creole Culture', on Merge Records on October 9. Its eleven songs blend electronics, alternative R&B and pop as a tribute to her hometown of New Orleans. The release came with the official video for 'only fans', made with choreographer and director Lyrik London.
Paste's Peyton Toups welcomes her return to 'groovy, emotive electronic pop' after two albums with composer Spencer Zahn (2022 and 2024). The new sound is brash, loud and made to be heard through a loudspeaker, and the album is a mercurial, emotionally complex journey – 'a fantastic project'. Pitchfork rates it 7.4 out of 10.
The collective Katalyst served as co-executive producer, and Machinedrum produced tracks including 'only fans' and 'groove city'. New Orleans guests also feature: Big Freedia opens the album and Tarriona Ball of Tank and the Bangas features on 'l v r'. 'enough' samples Sister Nancy's 'Bam Bam', and the near-acoustic closer 'faith in the fire' ends things quietly.