Review: Y’Cliff’s ‘Broken Heart in My Hand’

There is little one can say to discredit Y’Cliff’s new album. There is even less you can say to truly express the experience of listening to it.

Think back to everything you love about the era where soul and jazz were the primary influences for Namibian R&B and the two worlds joined to give birth to multiple offspring in the form of Bertholdt Mbinda, Roger, Teqla (formerly known as Tequila), Lil D (now Desmond) and the like.

On ‘Broken Heart in My Hand’, the singer channels all these diverse musical influences to create a masterpiece.

Any doubts about Y’Cliff have been put to bed with the release of this album. The singer produced a complete project that only a very determined hater can fault. The sounds on the album range from certified love songs like ‘Brutally in Love’ and ‘Between Your Legs’ to ones that offer personal introspection like ‘Sept. 1st’ and ‘Drowning in My Feelings’.

All of this without sounding disjointed or forced.

'Broken Heart in My Hand' sports 10 tracks, with features by Waters on ‘Brutally in Love’ and Adora on ‘Nothing Compares’.

Released a week ago, the album is available on all major streaming platforms.

“I would like to thank everyone for the support. The love is being felt.

“We only printed 300 physical copies of the album and the goal was to sell them all within a week,” the singer said.

Usually with an album, you get tired somewhere after the halfway mark, but in this instance, there’s enough gas to cover the entire mileage. We couldn’t ask for a better way to solidify Y’Cliff’s position as a musical force in the industry.

RATING: 4/5