Review

In a landscape increasingly choked by algorithmic sameness and paint-by-numbers pop, Earcandy, the debut full-length from Miso Extra, arrives like a chilled ume soda on a too-hot London day—refreshing, unexpected, and full of fizz. The London-based artist, already something of a cult darling thanks to her earlier EPs, has been quietly plotting her ascent, and with Earcandy, she stakes her claim properly. The record is an eclectic, bilingual blend of hip-hop, R&B, and J-pop influences, all filtered through a lens of cheeky, self-aware femininity. It's not just clever—it’s deeply listenable. Tracks like "R10" and "Great Taste" throb with playful swagger, pairing lo-fi beats with lyrical lines that switch deftly between English and Japanese, often mid-bar. It’s a code-switching dance that never feels forced—more like a natural extension of her identity than a gimmick. Think Neneh Cherry raised on anime and garage beats. Production throughout is sparse but smart. The beats, courtesy of a cast of low-key producers who clearly get her aesthetic, leave space for her voice—sometimes whispered, sometimes rapped, occasionally sung with a dreamy detachment that recalls the likes of Yukimi Nagano or even a more grounded Grimes. Lyrically, she veers from clever to coy to candid. On “Space Junkie,” she unspools themes of self-worth and creative burnout over a beat that could soundtrack a Nintendo fever dream. Elsewhere, "Pardon?" plays like a diss track beamed from the future, full of glitchy blips and London sass. Yet for all its genre-blending and tonal shifts, Earcandy hangs together surprisingly well. It’s a tight, confident record from an artist clearly unbothered by convention. Some might call it scattershot, but that would be missing the point. Miso Extra thrives in the liminal spaces—in the silences between languages, the cracks between genres, the glitch in the matrix. In short, Earcandy is exactly what it promises: a sonic treat. But like all good sweets, there's something a bit strange in the flavour. And that’s precisely what makes it linger.