- Detroit emcee Angel Haze very nearly fell into the classic rap trap of coming in hot and fast, hitting the proverbial brick wall, lashing out at her record label and then fading back into the abyss like oh so many that came before her. Another victim of the vicious major label circus, Angel Haze was snapped up and signed after a breakout 2012 that saw Haze slay the critics with her early mix tapes before seeing her album shelved and sat on for months on end. Long story short, she leaked her own album online and forced her label into rushing out the record. That record, Dirty Gold, proved to be a huge commercial flop and nothing was heard from the fiery rapper for the best part of two years.

Fast forward to now and boy did I have to have a good, long, think to remember who the hell Angel Haze was, and most importantly, whether or not I still gave a damn. As it happens I do still give a damn and I have now realised I'd have been a fool not to. Now aged just twenty-three years old, Angel Haze has blasted back to the scene sounding refreshed and recharged. Her comeback statement a self-released, internet album that sounds like a million bucks and doesn’t feature a single guest vocal. It's a record sprung on us like it was no thing at all and, surprisingly, is one of the best I’ve heard all year.
Back To The Woods sees  Angel Haze re-establish herself not merely as certified player but as a dominant force in an industry that could use a few more empowering role-models for those goddamn kids. In terms of her voice, the shallow vocal comparison would be Nicki Minaj, at least for those few of us that can remember the brief period in which Minaj was producing some pretty solid rap music before her mind numbing run of cringeworthy pop-crossover dross. Angel Haze has the same innate ability to rap fast and coherently- with the added bonus of a belly full of fire and the brains to match.
Produced entirely by Missouri native and relative unknown Tk Kayembe, Back To The Woods takes its production cues from a little bit of everywhere. There's the obligatory traces of trap, there’s the drugged-out, downbeat throb of those early Weeknd tapes and finally that bombastic, stadium-sized electronics of that last Purity Ring record- all rolled into one gorgeous, ethereal and unrelenting piece of music that absolutely grabs you and forces you to pay attention.

All in all Angel Haze crafted and created the best release of her, hopefully, blossoming young career. Back To The Woods is the statement record she needed to make and instantly recoups all that previous goodwill that had all but disappeared into oblivion. It's been her passion and explosive nature that has given Angel Haze an intangible edge but it's also threatened to de-rail her whenever she's taken the typical path to success- Haze operating best when she's calling the shots, and there's absolutely no reason in this day and age why any respectable human being should feel the need to chase that particular dream of getting signed to a major label.

Despite the lack of traction the album has received, Back To The Woods may just be the female rap record of the year and a most welcomed return for another blindingly, bright star that nearly fell through cracks. Here's hoping this time she can hang around a while.

- Jay Edwards.