When the name Delroy Shewe comes to mind the word "superstar" is instantly right next to him. This is not only due to his smash hit with Saintfloew by the same name - which was my introduction to him, but his undeniable talent. The artist has channeled his dancehall background into an Afrobeats sound that often excites the ear, and since his emergence at the turn of the decade he's been a name hard to ignore.
In addition to "Superstar," Shewe has released singles such as "Fona," "Fenze," and "Gum Pepe" that have been testament to his brilliance. So naturally the expectations were high when the singer released his debut album - Peace Of Mind. An amalgamation of various influences that's nomadic in both sound and storytelling. A reflection of the times.
To understand this you have to take note of the fact that the Zimbabwean music landscape as a whole has been shaped by 4 key genres: dancehall, hip hop, Afrobeats and amapiano. Almost every release from the country has been touched by one of these genres, with some being touched by all. Delroy Shewe's artistry has a permeable membrane that has absorbed all of these influences, and he presents this on Peace Of Mind.
True to its title the project is centred on "peace of mind," one brought about by love, overcoming obstacles and achieving one's dreams. This is evident in the brief title track's lamentation: "I'm searching for my peace of mind... I say honayi honayi, peace haitengeke nemari."
Conceptually the album is sound, and Shewe's train of thought is easy to see, and guided by intentional sequencing. The "but," however, comes in Shewe's expression.
Peace Of Mind is shaped by an Afrobeats production and a dancehall tinged vocal delivery. The core musical alchemy is wrapped in a sheen of dance music on "Overtime," sungura on "Madhuve," and amapiano on "Tarie." The album's brilliant moments are just that, brilliant, they have the feeling of Shewe believing in what he's doing. Yet this is diluted by moments where the singer seems to be just going through the motions.
The collaboration with Shona Prince (Takura), "Murder," is a beautifully packaged but toxic mess. A promise of suicide if one is dumped which sounds great musically, but feels manipulative in lyricism. A song you hate to love. Ignoring such moments, there's a somber and heartfelt exploration of Shewe's loneliness on "Dande," his journey to this moment on Kuresa (Bottom KweTown)," and a moment of triumph on "No Love."
These opposing forces tug on you as you listen and when it ends, the replay button calls you to truly see if you gave the album a fair judgment. Favourites emerge, such as "Tarie," "Bhangu," and "DLMG." Followed by a forgiveness for the album's less inspired moments. The project leaves one hanging, because you can't truly tell if Shewe has found has piece of mind or it's still elusive, and that also leaves the music feeling incomplete.
The Delroy Shewe of "Superstar," is present in moments, however it is often not an offering that's necessarily less but different. Peace Of Mind is self revelation and a beginning, often time is kind to such tales.
Greedy South rating: 7.2/10