KOFFEE “GIFTED” – REVIEW

Koffee’s debut album titled “Gifted” sounds like a victory lap. And to a degree, that seems justified. Born in Jamaica, Koffee first made her mark as a teen with some freestyles on a BBC Radio stream. Her 2019’s EP, “Rapture,” combined ragga and dancehall. The release made Simpson the youngest person and first woman to win the Grammy for “Best Reggae Album.”

Across the 10 songs on “Gifted,” Koffee sings about her childhood in Jamaica. Koffee’s performances on “Where I’m From” and “Defend” carry the instinctual, off-the-cuff ferocity that gained her recognition earlier in her career. The former features three commanding verses structured around the soft chanting of a group of back-up singers, undergirded by muted guitar strums and finger snaps, while “Lockdown” is a timely ditty whose title doubles as a reference to Covid protocols and a metaphor for monogamy. They’re the finest moments on an album that doesn’t always play to its young creator’s strengths.