album review:TIM LYRE
words BY KOfi Owusu
Lagos-based artist Tim Lyre returns with SPIRAL, a genre-bending PROJECT that dives deep into various soundscapes. Released via Johannesburg–London imprint Outer South, SPIRAL is as much a reflection of emotional turbulence as it is a celebration of musical freedom.
From the opening “Miles” featuring Moelogo, Tim sets his introspective journey, easing listeners in with breezy afrofusion and reflective lyrics. It’s an immediate tone-setter but purposeful.
Then comes “Rocketship”, a standout Track that Tim escapes into imagination and memory, delivering one of the most cinematic moments on the record.
Spanning 16 tracks across a thoughtfully crafted A-Side and B-Side, SPIRAL sees Tim Lyre weaving together threads of neo-soul, alté, amapiano, highlife, hip-hop, and electronic music into a cohesive and immersive listening experience. Each genre shift is purposeful, drawing from the emotional highs and lows.
Tim’s lyrical honesty and rich vocal delivery are elevated by a diverse lineup of collaborators: Moelogo, BOJ, Show Dem Camp, Manana, Joshua Baraka, BINA., Binta, and more. On the house-tinged “Pot of Gold” with Joshua Baraka Tim sings:“I’ve been through the storm / but I’m still whole / dancing in the rain / chasing pot of gold.” It’s affirming the album’s ethos, resilience through reflection.
“SPIRAL is about motion. Descent and ascension. Darkness and light. I wanted to document the feeling of spiralling — through love, through grief, through growth.” — Tim Lyre
The visuals extend the album’s narrative into something even more immersive. Every frame, every lyric, every sonic choice feels intentional — a rare cohesion in today's fragmented listening culture.
Highlights:
“Rocketship”: A spacey, melancholic anthem of emotional flight
“Lock In” (ft. BOJ): A lush amapiano gem, complete with violins and sax
“Economy” (ft. Show Dem Camp): A sobering look at financial and romantic instability
“Way/2/Me”: The closer, an emotive finale of electric guitars and soul-searching vocals
With SPIRAL, Tim Lyre doesn’t just solidify his place among Africa’s most exciting musical voices, he opens a new chapter for what genre-fluid African music can be. This is a record that doesn’t chase trends or play into expectations. Instead, it carves out space for vulnerability and experimentation.
Lyre’s ability to sit across sounds without losing the thread is one of SPIRAL’s greatest strengths. Whether he’s layering soft falsettos over amapiano rhythms or delivering piercing rap verses against stripped-back production, there’s always an emotional clarity anchoring the work.
As he prepares to bring this album to life at Camden Assembly on September 25, the performance promises to be more than just a concert — it will be a celebration of the rising global force that is Tim Lyre.
