Debut album 'Athena' by Sudan Archives - "honest, vulnerable"

The Los Angeles-bases violinist/vocalist Sudan Archives releases her debut album 'Athena' this week, inspired by Sudanese fiddlers, R&B, West African rhythms, experimental electronic music, but, sonically, it leans mostly towards r'n'b. Her first strength, the Quietus writes, is her violin - "it’s apparent that she has absorbed the potential of the violin and fits it according to the song. Sometimes that means orchestral filler gets tucked under R&B grooves and sometimes the violin stands in for a guitar or ukulele", and her second her voice - "She knows how to layer her vocals, how to punctuate a phrase, how to restrain herself to great effect. Parks has a knack for writing massive hooks that will dig straight into your brain".