Chime (CD)
Dessa
Amoeba Review
09/07/2020
Member of Minneapolis hip-hop collective Doomtree, Dessa has been steadily blazing her own trail since 2005. Chime, her 4th studio album, features 11 distinctive songs that veer from rap, R&B, and indie pop, often within the same track. Lead single “Good Grief” highlights what works so well in Dessa’s idiosyncratic world, with gospel-tinged backing vocals adorning a catchy melody, bookworm-friendly rap verses, and undeniable pop production sheen. As an original contributor to The Hamilton Mixtape, Dessa’s style of songwriting probably draws the closest parallel to that famed soundtrack: literate, detailed, full of drama, and endlessly repeatable.