The ride is smooth with yuna down 'Sixth Street'

The ride is smooth with yuna down 'Sixth Street'

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT
The ride is smooth with yuna down 'Sixth Street'

The mellow Malaysian songstress follows up her excellent debut album with a five-track EP that doubles as a mood modifier

YUNA/ SIXTH STREET EP

Apart from the K-pop phenomenon, Asia is not really known for producing too many artists that have what it takes for international success. Thailand's Hugo Chakrabongse and Malaysia's Yunalis Mat Zara'ai are among a few rare exceptions. While the former's talent has earned him a contract with Jay-Z's label Roc Nation, the latter has managed to draw in industry heavyweight Pharrell Williams to produce her US debut single Live Your Life.

Released last year, Yuna's self-titled debut album may not be chart-topping material, but thanks to her ability to play guitar and write songs that display sincerity and passion, Yuna has deservedly found herself a solid niche following. Her songs Tourist and Favourite Thing have also been featured on US TV series such as Arrow and Pretty Little Liars.

After collaborating with Owl City on Shine Your Way, the soundtrack to Dreamworks' animated filmThe Croods, Yuna returns with her latest offering, a five-track EP called Sixth Street. Self-described as her "new chapter", the EP still possesses Yuna's distinctive breezy vibe previously heard on her debut and earlier material. The single, I Wanna Go, in particular, is a sweetly-sung, irresistible plea on which she coos "And no I'm not prepared, no I'm not prepared/My heart's beating really fast, really fast/But I wanna go there/Can I go with you?"

Let Love Come Through (featuring Kyle) stands out with Kyle's rap intro, creating a stark contrast with Yuna's laidback warble. The result is a well-balanced blend of soothing sounds and vintage synths. Right Again is a twinkly number that fuses elements of pop and jazz in equal parts. Here, she alternates between her low, semi-raspy and almost-falsetto high voice as effortlessly as the cruisy melody in the background. Young and Musician don't really deviate from this smooth jazz-inflicted route set by the album's opener. Yuna demonstrates impressive voice control and shows how much she has matured vocally in just a little over a year.

Unlike her debut album, Sixth Street EP leans towards the more jazzy side of things. Luckily, though, Yuna has a unique enough voice that prevents it from becoming a total bossa nova fest. And given the nature of her lullaby-like vocals, Yuna's EP as a whole works perfectly as background music. Pop this one on when you're stuck in traffic or let it be the soundtrack to a lazy Sunday afternoon. Either way, your mind will be both soothed and consoled.

THE PLAYLIST

Pae Arak/ Microwave

After dabbling in acting and endorsing more products than you can shake a stick at, Slur's former frontman Arak Pae Amornsupasiri is back with a new single, an acoustic ballad curiously called Microwave. Lifted from his album with the Peesaj Band, this track sounds particularly folky, thanks to a combination of an acoustic guitar and a mouth-organ. The highlight, though, lies in the tongue-in-cheek lyrics whereby Pae likens the stages of his relationship to the convenience of having the mini oven handy. Not exactly profound, but most definitely practical.

Afrojack (featuring Chris Brown)/ As Your Friend

Ahead of the release of his debut studio album, Dutch DJ and producer Afrojack recruits American R&B singer Chris Brown to lend his vocals to the single As Your Friend. Opening with Brown singing: "I just can't live any more like this/My heart just opened up the door again," the track slowly builds into an explosive, synth-driven hook as he continues, "I used to be your man but today I woke up as your friend." The track ticks all the right boxes for a club anthem _ the use of Auto-Tune, plus enough thumping, clapping beats to make Calvin Harris and David Guetta proud.

Washed Out/ It All Feels Right

Trust chillwave pioneer Ernest Greene, aka Washed Out, to come out with a song so marvellously textured and drenched in dreamy soundscape as this one is. Taken from his upcoming record, Paracosm, It All Feels Right shares the same dazed vibes as the music of Aussie psychedelic rock outfit Tame Impala _ with an added bonus of a subtle reggae beat and strings. Greene is still as adamant in mumbling his syllables, but when he sings "the feeling when it all works out", his words somehow carry palpable conviction and bring us a sense of reassurance.

Kirin J Callinan/ Love Delay

While the single Embracism may prove too jarring for most, Kirin J Callinan's second single offers something a little more accessible, yet equally visceral. Love Delay announces its arrival with delicious stabs of guitar as Callinan wails: "You, you, you, you and I/I'll keep you in my mind/ Standing there in your underwear/With your long, black hair." The song becomes more wholesome as rousing drums and piercing bass penetrate the second half of the song. Epic and theatrical, Love Delay will stay in your head long after it's ended.

Giorgio Moroder/ Racer

Disco legend Giorgio Moroder is back in the limelight once again, thanks to his contribution to Daft Punk's latest album, Random Access Memories. And while he's at it, the seasoned Italian producer also cranks out his own tune, Racer, to accompany a new game of the same name on Google Chrome. The track starts off with a steady bass line before being joined by vintage-sounding synths and a drum machine that take us right back to the Italo-disco dominated dancefloor back in the early '80s.

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