Maria Minerva's work has always toed a very fruitful line between the commanding and the deliberately amateurish, but as she continues to grow as a vocalist and beatsmith, it's getting harder and harder to separate the endearing quirks from the musicianly slight of hand. On "Space 4 U," a track from her new five-track Bless EP, there's that strange Betty Boop thing she does with her voice when she mouths the word boy—it could be just a chance awkwardness in her prononciation, but when she samples the come-hither lyric in which it appears over and over again (make a wish, boy) it's like she really taking charge of our attention, dexterously compelling us to zero in on it. Bless, which includes a remix by Lady Blacktronika, is out this week via 100% Silk. Stream the album via Spin, and read our Maria Minerva Gen F profile.
Stream: Maria Minerva's Bless EP