Since his emergence, Sampha has been quiet. His solo work highlights his pure voice, and a Sampha feature brings a plaintive, considered presence to a track. But remaining silent is hard. At its worst, silence could be misconstrued for emptiness. The most quiet among us, though, know better than to speak incomplete thoughts. And when they’re ready, even the most reserved person can break out in a bold lash of fervor.

Sampha opens up with “Blood on Me.” The song’s hook, “I swear they smell the blood on me/I hear them coming for me,” signals a fight-or-flight reaction; it’s time for Sampha to move, and he does so, matching one of the fastest, most uniquely propulsive tracks he’s ever graced with his vocals. Absent of vibrato, or flaws for that matter, Sampha’s voice tends to communicate calmness—on “Blood on Me,” he sounds more desperate, in need of help and escape. There’s more force to his delivery. Sampha sings, “I’m on this road now/I’m so alone now, swervin’ out of control now,” but quickly resolves that “your strength runs through me.” On “Blood on Me,” Sampha steps out a bit, to find that even the brashest need comfort.