'Softly Spoken' is a thunderous debut from Hull’s Jodie Langford

Hull has a knack for birthing boundary-pushers, and Jodie Langford is the latest to prove it. Her debut album Softly Spoken may sound polite by name, but within seconds it detonates expectations. Teaming up with producer Endoflevelbaddie, Langford fuses performance poetry, punk energy, and rave intensity into a genre-defying explosion of sound and spirit.

Tracks like “Put It Down” and “The Biz” capture the disillusionment of modern culture with biting realism. Her commentary on phone-obsessed gig-goers and the influencer rat race feels timely, but never preachy. Langford’s magic lies in her tone; equal parts exhaustion, humour, and hope.

“RATZ!” and “Humiliate Me” dig deeper into the grit of working-class reality, spotlighting everything from exploitative landlords to workplace misogyny. Then, just as the record threatens to drown in frustration, she hits you with “Breastmilk Cheesecake,” a surrealist tornado of cut-up chaos that turns nonsense into emotional release.

Endoflevelbaddie’s production is the perfect partner to Langford’s wordplay; brash yet controlled, shifting from post-punk urgency to drum & bass delirium without missing a beat. Together, they’ve built something honest, hilarious, and exhilaratingly alive.

By the album’s close, “Shoutro” leaves listeners smiling, sweaty, and strangely hopeful. Softly Spoken is something that screams, dances, and demands to be felt.

Stream it here.