Hi everyone. It’s Anthony Stirford here from Anthony XO.Music, and today I’m reviewing Labrinth’s latest project, Cosmic Opera: Act 1.
Labrinth has never been an artist who plays it safe, and Cosmic Opera: Act 1 continues that pattern. This time, he steps away from the tighter R&B and pop frameworks that defined much of his earlier work and leans heavily into orchestral composition. Strings, choirs, and cinematic arrangements dominate the album, with touches of R&B, electronic, pop, and hip hop woven into the margins. On paper, it is an ambitious pivot. In execution, however, the ambition often outweighs the payoff.
From a production standpoint, the album is undeniably lavish. The orchestral arrangements are rich, carefully layered, and clearly expensive-sounding. Labrinth understands how to build atmosphere, and several tracks benefit from this grand sense of scale. The problem is that atmosphere becomes the album’s primary goal rather than a foundation for strong songwriting. Too often, the production feels like the main attraction, while the songs themselves struggle to justify their length or presence.
Vocally, Labrinth remains technically impressive. His control, range, and emotional delivery are still intact, and there is no sense that his voice has declined. What has changed is how that voice functions within the music. On Cosmic Opera: Act 1, Labrinth prioritizes mood and introspection over melody. His vocal performances rarely aim for hooks or memorable phrasing, which makes the album feel distant compared to his earlier work. The vocals sit comfortably within the orchestral arrangements, but comfort is not the same as impact. They blend in rather than stand out.
This issue becomes more apparent as the album progresses. Many tracks share a similar emotional tone and vocal approach, creating a sense of sameness. Labrinth often stays within the same vocal range and delivery style, which causes songs to blur together. Individually, these tracks are not bad, but collectively, they drain momentum. An album built around the idea of an “opera” needs dynamic shifts, tension, and release. Here, the tension builds slowly but rarely resolves in a satisfying way.
That said, there are moments where Labrinth’s vision comes into focus. “Debris” is one of the album’s strongest tracks, striking a balance between orchestral weight and emotional clarity. The arrangement supports the vocal rather than swallowing it, allowing the song to feel purposeful instead of ornamental. “God Spoke” also stands out for its sense of scale and conviction. It carries a spiritual intensity that feels earned, with a clearer sense of progression than most of the album. “Orchestra” works almost as a mission statement, embracing the cinematic concept fully while maintaining structure and direction. These tracks show what Cosmic Opera: Act 1 could have been if that level of focus had been sustained throughout.
Unfortunately, the album is weighed down by a number of tracks that feel more like filler than necessary components of the project. “Big Bad Wolf” lacks urgency and feels underwritten, relying on atmosphere without offering a compelling melodic or emotional hook. “Still In Love With Pain” leans heavily into introspection but fails to develop beyond its initial mood, making it feel static. “Running A Read” suffers from similar issues, stretching a thin idea across a runtime that exposes its lack of progression. These tracks are not offensively bad, but they contribute to the album’s bloated feeling and dilute its stronger moments.
Lyrically and thematically, Labrinth explores vulnerability, emotional struggle, and internal conflict. While these themes are consistent, they are not explored with enough variation to sustain interest across the entire tracklist. The introspection becomes repetitive, and without standout lyrical moments or musical climaxes, the emotional weight starts to flatten instead of deepen.
Ultimately, Cosmic Opera: Act 1 feels like a project more concerned with presentation than performance. The orchestral production is opulent and carefully crafted, but the songwriting rarely rises to match it. The album lacks defining moments, memorable hooks, and emotional peaks that would justify its scale. What remains is a project that is impressive in concept and sound design but hollow in practice.
For these reasons, I’ve given Cosmic Opera: Act 1 a 3.3 out of 10. The ambition is clear, and there are flashes of brilliance, but ambition alone cannot carry an album this long or this heavy. Without stronger songs and clearer climaxes, the opera never truly takes flight.