Album review: Kali Uchis delivers luscious romance in ‘Red Moon in Venus’ despite repetitiveness

This post was updated March 7 at 9:01 p.m.

After nearly three years, Kali Uchis is uplifting fans’ blues in shades of celestial red.

Following the 2020 release of her sophomore album, “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios),” the Colombian American singer has returned with “Red Moon in Venus.” Uchis examines love in all its forms through hauntingly lush, breathy vocals and her signature blend of Latin influences. As she further pushes her artistic boundaries through the addition of groovy bass lines and psychedelic synth, she unfortunately fails to provide sonic variability across the album’s 15 tracks.

Uchis greets listeners with “in My Garden…” through a voicemail-like call surrounded by the calming sounds of melodic keys, insects and birds. The album seamlessly transitions into “I Wish you Roses,” perhaps the strongest song on Uchis’ new album. Characterized by psychedelic synths and Uchis’ alluring vocals, the lead single blossoms as a haunting ballad with Uchis’ lyrical strength as she wishes growth and love for an ex-lover.

Compared to “Sin Miedo (del Amor y Otros Demonios),” Uchis nostalgically leans more into R&B sounds and influences in “Red Moon in Venus” as she did in her debut album. Through tracks such as “Worth the Wait” featuring Omar Apollo and “Love Between…,” listeners are transported into Uchis’ vulnerable exploration of love by the sheer force of her emotive vocals and smooth beats. Her narration of romances is most strongly exemplified in the latter track, as she suavely asserts, “Love between two human beings / Can be so wonderful” and beautifully encapsulates the feelings of falling into someone by humming, “If you take away my air, how am I supposed to breathe?”

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Another standout on the album is “Moonlight.” Complemented by an exaggerated bass line similar to those of Thundercat and his signature six-string bass sound, Uchis sings about wanting to escape with her lover and poses the question, “How does it feel, here by my side getting higher and higher?” Soon, listeners are able to answer Uchis’ question as she transports them into a heavenly, ethereal space through layered vocals and funky bass patterns.

In songs such as “Endlessly” and “Moral Conscience,” Uchis combines synth experimentation with bass rhythms to provide a fresh twist on her usual sound. These techno elements inventively add a psychedelic flare to her usual Latin, indie-pop sound reminiscent of Tame Impala.

While “Red Moon in Venus” is a soothing listen, it ultimately falls short with repetitive beats and tempos that make it difficult to distinguish each song from one another. The stagnant pacing throughout also makes it difficult for listeners to fully grasp Uchis’ abilities as an artist, as it lacks the force of her two previous albums.

However, with a few exceptions, Uchis does manage to break the album’s slow-moving mold. “Fantasy,” which features rapper and Uchis’ boyfriend Don Toliver, gives a much-needed break from the stealthy ballads. The track serves as an upbeat dance theme with an Afrobeat-inspired feel as the pair sings about their steady relationship.

Along with Toliver and Apollo, R&B singer-songwriter Summer Walker is another strong featured addition to the album in “Deserve Me.” With Walker’s soulful voice balanced alongside Uchis’ softer soprano singing and the hyperpop beat, the song emerges as an enjoyable anthem of self-love and prosperity after heartbreak.

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With the album’s finale, “Happy Now,” Uchis ends on an upbeat note that not only encapsulates her strength as an artist, but also the finale of the relationship that she has grieved throughout the album. She takes a tasteful and poetic approach as she takes breaks to speak about her past lover. Through encouraging phrases like, “Don’t think about the pain or the heartaches / Just wanna remember all the good things,” she closes her album optimistically, sending a message of the beauty within love.

Through an innovative sonic style, Uchis is able to honestly explore both the roses and thorns of romantic affairs. As the title entails, “Red Moon in Venus” provides a look into Uchis’ whirlwind of emotions and the maturation brought on by her previous relationships, further reflected by her evolution as a musical artist. Yet amid the chaos, Uchis touches upon her own divine feminine energy and similarly encourages listeners to unleash the goddess inside of them.

And as Uchis invites guests into her garden, she will have even those with the deepest of wounds endlessly laying on a bed of roses.