Category: EP – 5 tracks, runtime – 13 min
Genre: Alternative R‘n’B
Release Date: 29.August.2024
Rating: ★★★★★★★★★☆ – 9.1/10
What a feeling! Like literally, we caught a vibe. The project’s intricately calculated to suck you into its trancey realm. For one, no track crosses into 3 minutes, which ensures that the yearning it indulges in & induces, never wears off before the end of each listen. And yet, the punch of the output is more than just a product of slick timing, there’s layers in here too. The first being that the EP’s an ode to Nairobi; the singer’s place of birth and development. The twist to it is, she employs diverse, aptly indirect devices to achieve that overarching artistic goal.
The game plan seems the same right from the opener “The Moment” on which, like on the other four tracks, Maya centers herself lyrically to tasteful effect.
There’s a mature sensuality to her, as she steers away from the all too common unimaginative crudeness that an exploration of the senses—like the kind on this project—may attract. There’s a place for the latter, but that’s another discussion. Back to the track in question, it sets off with mildly psych-y guitar work enjoined to trippy harmonies, before Maya takes the helm vocally while buoyed by the gentle soothe of delightfully tranquil percussion. The rest of the piece is a showcase of sonic dynamism. From versatile forms of harmonies, echoey, earthy, compressed & everything in-between, to lyrical switcheroos, it’s quite the arc.
“Let It Flow”, the followup, launches deeper into the muse, with the most agile beats of the project & a bassier background. Percussively, the track flows from clappy-stampy clicks to muffled drums, onto a fuller sound & quirkily jolty beats in its closing moments. And the instrumental melody keeps up, right from the keyboard-driven start to full-on funky riffs by the jam’s end.
Then comes the case of “Take It”. It’s the most accessible of the bunch. It’s so clear that it’s crafted to be the pleaser. And in that way, it comes close to being flawed by its moderately generic nature. But from a collective view of the pieces it’s situated among, it’s not the worst gripe to be leveled at a tune. Moreso, when “Taste”, the clear standout of the EP & the perfect leadout, comes after. From the go, its aggressively swelly bass yanks you in. The vocal work similarly dazzles with character, what with the distorted harmonies, Maya’s longing pipes, and occasional subtle growlings couched in appropriately overproduced layers of sound that somehow still sound raw. Exquisite soundscape!
The closer, concurrently the title track, offers a fitting wrap-up. Like its predecessors, it celebrates the sensual. Meanwhile, it’s supported by a mix of forceful pounding beats & raw percussion, along with sprinkly acoustic work as it winds up. Beyond itself, the title track is a fitting aggregation of the entire project in its balance of the delicate with the emphatic. Maya’s struck gold with this whole lot, not for the first time, which makes her consistency commendable. Mean sauce!
