Having established her reputation as a poet and spoken word artist since the 2000s, aja monet was already a strong force by the 2023 appearance of her debut album. Besides her forthright and imaginative visions of Black community, love and life, when the poems do what they do is further fleshed out by a striking core of jazz performers, notably including Chief Xian aTunde Adjuah on trumpet as well as others who have worked with him. The resultant blend on pieces like “weathering,” “for sonia,” “black joy” and the lengthy “yemaya” thoroughly compels.