''A.A.A'' is the eponymous debut

extended play An extended play (EP) is a Sound recording and reproduction, musical recording that contains more tracks than a Single (music), single but fewer than an album. Contemporary EPs generally contain up to eight tracks and have a playing time of 1 ...

by Nigerian

alternative rock Alternative rock (also known as alternative music, alt-rock or simply alternative) is a category of rock music that evolved from the independent music underground of the 1970s. Alternative rock acts achieved mainstream success in the 1990s w ...

band A.A.A. It was recorded at Blackstar Studios in

Ikoyi Ikoyi is the most affluent neighborhood of Lagos, located in Eti-Osa Local Government Area. It lies to the northeast of Obalende and adjoins Lagos Island to the west, and at the edge of the Lagos Lagoon. Popular with the extreme upper class r ...

and released on August 5, 2019. The band is composed of singer

Brymo Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ (born Olawale Ibrahim Ashimi; 9 May 1986), better known as Brymo, is a Nigerian singer, songwriter, sound artist, sonic artist, actor and author who was born and raised in Okokomaiko. Brymo started recording music in ...

, guitarist Jad Moukarim, drummer Adey Omotade, and bassist Laughter. ''A.A.A'' comprises five tracks and is a fusion of

folk music Folk music is a music genre that includes #Traditional folk music, traditional folk music and the Contemporary folk music, contemporary genre that evolved from the former during the 20th-century folk revival. Some types of folk music may be ca ...

psychedelic rock Psychedelic rock is a rock music Music genre, genre that is inspired, influenced, or representative of psychedelia, psychedelic culture, which is centered on perception-altering hallucinogenic drugs. The music incorporated new electronic sound ...

and African rhythms; it was mixed and mastered by Mikky Me Joses.

Composition

On the folk and rock-tinged opening track "Johnbull", Brymo introduces listeners to a nominal character who left home in search of a better life. Jad Moukarim's electric guitar riff is included in the song, which takes its title from a well-known nursery tale. The rock-infused track "Mary Had an Orgasm" is about a titular lady who ends up having sexual relations with a man she hires to show her around the city. '' The Lagos Review''s Adeola Juwon said the song makes reference to the

female genitalia In mammals, the vulva (: vulvas or vulvae) comprises mostly external, visible structures of the female genitalia leading into the interior of the female reproductive tract. For humans, it includes the mons pubis, labia majora, labia minora, ...

and acknowledged it for being "brazenly explicit". In the soulful ballad "Take Me Back to November", Brymo pleads to be taken back to a time when he had the trust of a loved one; the song also depicts a time when his relationship with the person was in good standing. In "Golden Eyes", Brymo is haunted by the ghost of the dead relationship depicted in the previous track. On the closing track "The in-Between", he encourages listeners to keep persevering, pushing and striving.

Critical reception

''A.A.A'' received positive reviews from

music critics Music journalism (or music criticism) is media criticism and reporting about music topics, including popular music, classical music, and traditional music. Journalists began writing about music in the eighteenth century, providing commentary on ...

. A writer for Filter Free Nigeria, who goes by the moniker the Waistbead Whisperer, praised the EP's sound curation, production, thematic style, and lyrics. The Waistbead Whisperer also said the record "carries Brymo away from the enclosure of his usual sound to a slightly more upbeat realm while still maintaining the otherworldliness of his lyrics". Adewojumi Aderemi of Konbini Channels called ''A.A.A'' a "universal body of work" and characterized it as a "refreshing exploration of a plethora of sounds that we simply aren't used to hearing". Music critic Michael Kolawole said the EP is a "decent experimental piece and a litmus test that foretells what Brymo’s next project may sound like". Writing for ''The Lagos Review'', Adeola Juwon praised the production, lyricism, and Brymo's songwriting. Moreover, Juwon said the record "dwells on loss, relationships in their dying stages, and unrequited love".

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from a press release posted on Jaguda.com. *Ọlawale Ọlọfọrọ – lead vocals, production *Jad Moukarim – lead guitar, production *Adey Omotade – drums, production *Laughter – bass guitar, production *Mikky Me Joses – mixing, mastering, additional production

Release history

References

{{Brymo 2019 debut EPs