'The Voice Thailand' graduate offers up a sleek melange of pop, R&B, nu-soul and jazz sounds on her impressive debut record about a breakup 'High Soul'.
Petite/ High Soul EP
It's no secret that heartbreak has spurred a lot of great works of art throughout the human history. In music, especially, there's never really been a short supply of breakup albums. In fact, some of the best records were fuelled by emotional turmoil and heartache -- Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, Bruce Springsteen's Tunnel of Love, Joni Mitchell's Blue, Kanye West's 808s and Heartbreak, Bon Iver's For Emma, Amy Winehouse's Back To Black and Bjork's Vulnicura to name but a few.
Petite's five track debut EP High Soul too was inspired by the same romantic predicament. But instead of purely wallowing in the hurt, she explores the less addressed aspect of a breakup where you're still too in love with that person to even be mad. "Wanna kick, wanna punch you/You think I'd dare to?/Isn't that what people who hate each other supposed to do?" she sings half-jokingly on lead single Ai.
Set to grooving nu-soul melodies, the track sets the tone for the rest of the EP both thematically and musically. "If someone mentions my name/How'd do you react?/Would you still be missing me then?" she posits, her stylistic vocal phrasing flowing like melted butter. "And when we run into each other/Just know that the person before you/Still having feelings for you."
The following track Blanket finds her in a boss mode as she's issuing an ultimatum to her misbehaving beau: "As long as you're still sleeping under my blanket/Boy, you've gotta behave"). Deep down, though, she knows full well that she'd give in through any physical contact with him ("Hands off, please/Before I forgive you again/Hands off, please/Just let me be pissed at you").
Then arrives the EP's only slow jam, the jazz-inflicted ballad Next. Here, she's singing about trying to move on with a new lover who happens to remind her of the previous one ("My next one will love me better than you/He'll probably look a lot like you/Same smile, same laughter"). It's the most conventional breakup song here and she indeed delivers.
It's Complicated shares the smooth vibes of Ai and Blanket with an added layer of R&B/hip-hop flair (note the Future-esque ad-libs in the background). This segues nicely into a closing number, the synth-driven remix of Ai (Ohhcomeon Mix).
Although largely rooted in jazz and nu-soul, the High Soul EP contains plenty of pop sensibility to make it an enjoyable listen. What's more, the theme of breakup is handled in such a way that feels refreshingly new and honest. Never once has Petite come across as moping -- she's upfront about her feelings throughout this EP. For such a short debut, she has already shown a huge amount of potential and we can't wait to hear what she has to offer in the future.
The Playlist
Rasmee/ Arom (Emotion)
Molam chanteuse Rasmee returns with a new track called Arom (Emotion), a follow-up to 2016's outstanding album Isan Soul. Set to simple, well-paced instrumentation, the near 10-minute cut finds her at her most reflective yet. "Deep, consuming emotions/Sending a crazy person like me high and low," she sings of mood swings in her signature quivering melisma. "Just go with those emotions/Let it flow/Let it be." Is this the harbinger of her upcoming sophomore record? We certainly hope so.
Charly Bliss/ All I Want For Christmas
We hope you find it in your heart to embrace yet another cover version of Mariah Carey's seminal holiday anthem All I Want For Christmas Is You. Brought to you by New York outfit Charly Bliss, the classic ditty gets an indie-rock treatment through gently strummed guitar and lurching, slightly retro-sounding '60s production. Although frontwoman Eva Grace Hendricks' voice doesn't exactly give Carey a run for her money, she makes up for it with the laidback, girl-next-door vibe. The song appears as part of the Amazon's Indie For The Holidays playlist, which also includes Kevin Morby, Mexican Institute of Sound and other indie mainstays.
Violette Wautier/ Goodbye
After dropping Kor Kae Mai Mee Chan earlier this year, The Voice Thailand alumnus Violette Wautier has just unveiled another single Goodbye. Here, the Thai-Belgian songstress/actress serves up a gorgeous pop gem, adding to a handful of standalone tracks she released over the years, including TV and movie soundtracks. "Trying to hold you back/But it's all in vain/Won't make you change your mind," she croons over minimal melodies. "Even if I give you all of my heart/You won't appreciate it." Aww, poor thing.
James Arthur/ Naked
Speaking of talent show alumni, this week we also have former X Factor winner James Arthur joining our list with his latest Naked. Produced by Swedish hit machine Max Martin, the midtempo pop offering is the first taste of his forthcoming third album reportedly due out next year. "Cause here I am, I'm giving all I can/But all you ever do is mess it up," he intones during the bridge. "I'm not going to wait until you're done/Pretending you don't need anyone/I'm standing here naked." And by that, we hope, he meant emotionally.
Bearcubs/ Do You Feel
Since his days of collaborating with Tom Misch on his 2015's Beat Tapes 2, rising British singer-producer Bearcubs (real name Jack Ritchie) has gone on to make his own buzz with his debut EP Underwaterfall. While his soulful croon and ghostly post-dubstep atmospherics bear resemblance of James Blake, his latest offering Do You Feel sounds as if he took a production cue from Jamie xx, fusing bright synths and sparse percussion with mumbled signing voice. Keep an eye out for this dude, he's bringing some serious talent.
