Jamila Woods: “Tiny Garden” [ft. duendita] Track Review

Jamila Woods tends to the needs of the spirit, wrestling to bring clarity to her own struggles and find peace of mind. Her best songs are like dialogues with the most compassionate voice in your head, guiding you through the tough parts of life. “Tiny Garden,” the lead single from her upcoming album, Water Made Us, continues this spirit of benevolence. Hesitant to not lose themselves in a new romance, Woods and guest vocalist duendita grapple with competing impulses toward self-preservation and intimacy, trying to proceed with caution: “It’s not gonna be a big production/It’s not butterflies or fireworks/Said it’s gonna be a tiny garden/But I’ll feed it every day.” The music starts out as a subtle shuffle of keyboards and shakers that match Woods’ tentativeness, but eventually blooms into something more: By the hook, thumping drums and echoing background vocals that rumble like roots coursing through dirt. There’s big love hiding in the bulbs of Jamila Woods’ “Tiny Garden,” and nurturing it is its own reward.