When the Poems Do What They Do

In Exclaim!, Tom Beedham called this album "a roadmap to somewhere greater" and states that the work has "emotional import [and] mechanical industry".^[4] At Okayplayer, Nereya Otieno compares this release to a weighted blanket and praises the storytelling of the songs as well as the musicianship.^[1] Marcus J. Moore of The New York Times compares this release to the spoken word scene of the 1990s and characterizes it as "a nuanced exploration of Blackness".^[3] NPR's Sheldon Pearce considers this a "wondrous debut album" that is "gorgeously meditative and potently groovy".^[5] Writing for Pitchfork, Mary Retta scored this album a 7.4 out of 10 for having "a profound and forceful clarity" and that the backing of veteran jazz musicians adds to the "gravitas and wonder" of Monet's poetry.^[2]

Staff at KCRW listed this the 17th best album of 2023.^[6] Graham Reid of The New Zealand Herald included this in his favorite albums of 2023.^[7]

All songs written by Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah, Weedie Braimah, Luques Curtis, Marcus Gilmore, Aja Monet, Elena Pinderhughes, and Samora Pinderhughes.

1. "i am" – 3:48
2. "why my love?" – 4:37
3. "black joy" – 6:17
4. "unhurt" – 6:36
5. "weathering" – 5:42
6. "the perfect storm" – 8:03
7. "the devil you know" – 9:59
8. "what makes you feel loved?" – 2:31
9. "for sonia" – 7:05
10. "yemaya" – 12:39
11. "castaway" – 4:34
12. "give thanks" – 6:29
13. "for the kids who live" – 4:56

• Aja Monet – vocals, production, executive production
• Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah – bow, trumpet, production
• Paul Blakemore – mastering
• Weedie Braimah – percussion (including djembe)^[5]
• Luques Curtis – bass guitar
• Def Sound – assistant production
• Delphine Diallo – cover photography
• Marcus Gilmore – drums
• Rob Lewis – vinyl design
• Brodie Means – assistant engineering
• Elena Pinderhughes – flute
• Samora Pinderhughes – piano
• Dave Weingarten – engineering, mixing

• List of 2023 albums