Following her Mercury Prize-shortlisted debut album Skin, Bangladeshi-Irish singer Joy Crookes was thrust into the spotlight – and into what she describes as a “mental health crisis between albums.” Now, after a four-year hiatus, she has returned with Juniper, an album forged in reflection and reinvention. Vince Staples]Intricate percussion and a bold bassline set the edgy backdrop for a tonal 180, reintroducing Crookes’ familiar playful spark. “Tired/ Crying on the dancefloor/ I’m pretty but I’m miserable,” Crookes confesses as the nostalgic arrangement of piano-and-strings frame her half-conversational vocals. '” The trumpet and saxophone flourishes amplify Crookes’ intimidatingly bold vocal delivery with even more theatricality, making this track a show-stopper. Its syncopated groove feels intoxicating, tugging the listener slightly off balance as multiple sonic threads weave around each other.