Aisha Badru - Pendulum (CD)

Whilst a pendulum swings between two extremes, New York's Aisha Badru cuts a steady, deliberate path on her so-named full-length debut. The extremes denoted by the record's title are emotional, rather than sonic, as Badru explores both arcing highs and devastating lows with equally measured tenderness and elegance each time. ""A major theme of every human's experience is that we're constantly swinging between good and bad,"" she explains. ""We can't avoid it. By realising that the swings aren't permanent, you begin to develop the ability to control how you feel about the unfortunate events that may arise in your life.""