Miraa May: Tales of a Miracle review – ambitious angst-pop debut | Pop and rock

Since her fantastic 2016 EP, N15, British Algerian singer-songwriter Miraa May has been a lesser-known but essential part of UK pop. Her debut album arrives at 17 songs long, an ambitious feat that she just about pulls off, with polished instrumentation, unapologetic candour and a cavalry of superb features from British female artists, including Jorja Smith and Raye.

Drawing on the contemporary, playing with sounds from two decades ago (interpolations of songs by Mya, 50 Cent and Sisqo feel more inventive than the recent trend of sampling from that era), as well as flourishes of Algerian Arabic, the record aims for a wide-ranging sonic palette. Though the vocal production is sometimes a little overwrought, May is engaging, and unafraid to look inwards – at her romantic life, her mental health, her newborn son. She breathes life into subjects that might otherwise feel tired, such as doubt, on Anxiety, or the smooth but fiercely funny takedown of keyboard warriors on Internet Trolls (“Watching everybody else’s man, but you don’t even have a man though”). Tales of a Miracle is a testament to May’s slick penmanship.

Since her fantastic 2016 EP, N15, British Algerian singer-songwriter Miraa May has been a lesser-known but essential part of UK pop. Her debut album arrives at 17 songs long, an ambitious feat that she just about pulls off, with polished instrumentation, unapologetic candour and a cavalry of superb features from British female artists, including Jorja Smith and Raye.

Drawing on the contemporary, playing with sounds from two decades ago (interpolations of songs by Mya, 50 Cent and Sisqo feel more inventive than the recent trend of sampling from that era), as well as flourishes of Algerian Arabic, the record aims for a wide-ranging sonic palette. Though the vocal production is sometimes a little overwrought, May is engaging, and unafraid to look inwards – at her romantic life, her mental health, her newborn son. She breathes life into subjects that might otherwise feel tired, such as doubt, on Anxiety, or the smooth but fiercely funny takedown of keyboard warriors on Internet Trolls (“Watching everybody else’s man, but you don’t even have a man though”). Tales of a Miracle is a testament to May’s slick penmanship.