Music Review: Mulini

Hailing from Coventry, UK, Mulini becomes an idiosyncratic artist, mixing hip-hop rhythms with the soul and warmth of R&B. He shares an appealing confessional tune which sees him low-key moody, spacey and anesthetized. “Insomnia” is an airy, more muted and understated record that shows a portrait of a wry and honest musician acknowledging his plight but trying to look past it. Here, Mulini struggles with finding sleep, tossing and turning throughout the night, unable to find decent rest. He’s not alone when it comes to counting the seconds away, laying in bed in the middle of the night while you stare blankly into the dark ceiling of your room, checking the time every so often and wondering why it’s barely moving.

And with a sultry melody that’s sad, sweet and resigned at one time, “Insomnia” is drenched in languorous grooves and buzzy synths. It’s also quiet and cozy but also stripped and unnerving. Mulini writes and sings, and the music gets better because it sounds right. It gets better because getting better fits the form of a good, catchy song. This reveals both his softness and unexpected musicality. His vocals fit the melody and it feels good. Nonetheless, “Insomnia” is about accepting those moments when you don’t feel all that great, and realizing that everyone else feels the same way sometimes too.

This makes “Insomnia” relatable if not consequential. It sees Mulini in a mood as he unpacks tough thoughts in low, raw tones. But he tries to deal with it, sort of like an overcast with a chance of sunshine, both the storm and the ray of light wanting to crack through the gray sky. But you don’t have to deny yourself frequent and poignant moments of uplift in order to call it purely sad; its silver lining comes at the cost of a lot of cloud cover. The title itself, immediately sets up the tempestuous train of thought that leads the listener throughout the song. Undoubtedly, Mulini develops the sonic heft to ensure this statement connects on a primal level, allowing the simplicity to act like a sledgehammer to the heart and mind.