After months of teases from the British multi-instrumentalist and songwriter, Marika Hackman has finally released her new album, “Any Human Friend”, on August 9th. Described by The Guardian as “woozy” and “her most accomplished album yet”, the solo artist worked with producer David Wrench in fully realising this speculated break up album. Despite having been around the British Indie music scene for quite a while, and with her first EP consisting solely of covers and produced by Alt-J’s Charlie Andrew, Hackman has definitely managed to keep pretty underground with her success, even after signing with Sub Pop in 2018.

However, rather than taking a standard approach to this very over-generated theme of love and breakups, Hackman has used this as a self-exploration into her own sexuality and well-being. With the release of her first single [I’m Not Where You Are] from this album back in April, the songstress said she thinks people will be “shocked by the language I’m using and how direct I’m being about sex and women,” further explaining, “but we hear lyrics in music all the time that are about fucking women and bitches and all this stuff that’s disempowering for the woman and very much objectifying her. So I’m here writing music about fucking, and it’s in a much more unifying and sexy way.”

This approach has come as a surprise to some of her fans and critics, as Marika is most well-known for her softer, more folky way of writing songs. However, it could be argued here that Hackman had been already planning this new emergence of intimate work dating back to her previous body of music in 2017, “I’m Not Your Man”, where she began opening up lyrically about her queer identity for the first time and hinting at her relationship with musician, Amber Bain [The Japanese House].

Reviews from Pitchfork have claimed that this new album has some “dull moments” that “draw some laughs and eye rolls” based on lyrics that are “less cutting” and perhaps immature or cliche. But, this is definitely an album to be appreciated. Exploring vulnerability, female sexuality, politics and identity in a way that isn’t currently being discussed, alongside some really wonderful, mucky pop sonic worlds – Marika Hackman is coming into her own with this exciting record.

“Any Human Friend” can be purchased here.