Like its predecessor ‘DEMOTAPE/VEGA’, Berwyn named his new mixtape ‘TAPE 2/FOMALHAUT’ after a star. This time, the Trinidad-born, East London-raised artist chose the moniker intentionally for its claim as “the loneliest star”. The thread of loneliness woven through the project feels universal after the gruelling isolation of the pandemic, but what takes hold in Berwyn’s work is his intensely personal revelations, stated plainly and simply. The project cracks open the murky interior world of painful transition: from experiencing homelessness to growing success, living with the ambivalent awareness of having “only made it out by the smallest amount”; through the uncertainty over Berwyn’s immigration status that threatened his career and future; through complicated emotions following the dissolution of romance; and, equally painful, through the loss of a close friendship and the aftermath of betrayal. ‘TAPE 2/FOMALHAUT’ follows the balancing act in the wake of broken trust. Wanting to recover what was lost (“will you be my medicine and remedy”) while being walled in against the risk of a repeat offence is a different kind of loneliness (“when you love someone you give them a weapon to hurt you”).

Musically, ‘TAPE 2/FOMALHAUT’ mirrors the gamut of emotions it runs through, keeping the arrangements purposefully stripped down to highlight Berwyn’s unvarnished and bold honesty. The production levels up the DIY sound of ‘DEMOTAPE/VEGA’, particularly on instantly hooky, radio-friendly singles ‘VINYL’, ‘RUBBER BANDS’ and ‘100,000,000’, while maintaining Berwyn’s intimate sensibility. The minimalistic arrangements leave space for the artist’s broad spectrum of vocal expressions. Raw, strained, stream of consciousness raps turn to mumbled, shyly intimate spoken word. Gripping, expansive melodies mediated by artful processing go from a smoked out deep bass to the type of soft tenor melody Berwyn envisioned for Ed Sheeran. Following a strong run of singles, the tape keeps giving with additional standouts, ‘WRONG ONES,’ ‘SNAKES ON MY NOKIA’ and ‘TO BE LOVED’ among the best.

Though the theme of isolation and loneliness permeates the project, there are as many moments where Berwyn testifies to the lifeline of real ones, calling back to the same close friends and family from ‘DEMOTAPE/VEGA’s ‘017 FREESTYLE’ on ‘FULL MOON FREESTYLE’ – “passengers in the same boat”.

‘TAPE 2/FOMALHAUT’ reveals a more hopeful artist that stays grounded, seasoned through pain, struggle, and the nuanced perspective gained by introspection. In the end, Berwyn concludes: “I don’t have the answers, just one heart with a little too much love in it.”