Not many artists can say they’ve been nominated for three Grammys before they’ve even signed a record deal, but Ambré is in a league of her own. The New Orleans native is making her debut with two independent projects under her belt, a cosign from Kehlani, and writing credits on H.E.R.’s Grammy award-winning H.E.R. Pulp introduces us to a young artist who knows who she is and who is ready to change the world. Each song carries its own collection of distinct ideas while providing a picture of Ambré and all she has in store for us.
Pulp is as vulnerable as it is cocky. Punctuated by Nina Simone’s live introduction to “Little Girl Blue,” the album takes listeners on a psychedelic and metaphorical trip where we watch a young woman hurt, heal, and grow into her own. Lyrics like “This ain’t no juvenile thing, Ain’t no puppy love/But we’re just teenagers, what do we know?” and “Can I practice on you?/Can you practice on me too?” juxtapose the musings of an artist who is self-assured enough to trust their own judgment, yet malleable enough to continue growing and learning to be her best self. “Eternal sunshine” sings praises to perseverance and the power of a dream. There isn’t a single narrative that anchors the project, but the constant changing of ideas and musical motives makes the journey feel more natural. Ambré’s vocals move freely; some verses tangle themselves in lyrical complexity while others lament over a single idea. Pulp doesn’t stay anywhere too long, and by the end, we can sketch a picture of who Ambré is as an artist—unfinished, of course. The confidence behind her words persists throughout the project and carries into the project’s aural matter.
Pulp employs beats and instrumentals that draw from and seamlessly blend different facets of Hip-Hop, R&B, Funk, and Pop. Ambré’s sound pulls from all over and is more intentionally subversive than purely experimental. The sound ebbs and flows between influences, and each track taking on a life of its own. “Free drugs” opens with a warm, mellow tone and maintains the song’s overall melancholy feel as it transitions into a dark beat switch-up. The beat’s movement is discombobulating without becoming jarring or uncomfortable. The energy in the sound likens the growth of a gentle breeze into a raging tornado. But Ambré is in control of the chaos. She understands traditional song structure enough to distort it into something unrecognizable yet intriguing and could even stand to push the line a bit further.
| A1 | Enterlude |
| A2 | Free Drugs |
| A3 | Satisfy |
| A4 | Band Practice |
| B1 | Eternal Sunshine |
| B2 | Jocin' (Innermission) |
| B3 | Lost |
| B4 | Fubu |
| C1 | Light Signal |
| C2 | Lucidia (Egodeath) |
| C3 | Gucci Slides |
| C4 | American Beauty |
| D1 | Risk It All |
| D2 | Plenty |
| D3 | Slip (Bonus Track) |
