EP Review: In Spaces

The highly-acclaimed, genre-fusing artist Sola Rosa is back with a new EP In Spaces – a stellar addition in the artist’s almost two-decade career. In Spaces explores the soundscapes of funk, soul and RnB, pillared by sturdy grooves and commanding vocal performances from a selection of outstanding feature artists.

The EP breezes in with Leave a Light On - helmed by British singer Kevin Mark Trail (The Streets) and finessed by the lustrous L.A. Mitchell in the chorus. The crisp bass tones are coupled with synthesised accents that ooze across the song. Trail’s billowing vocals rise and swell through the haze of the rhythm.

So Fly picks up the pace in this funky dance number. Trail takes on the role of MC, with clever and snappy rhymes that are rounded out by the sass of the chorus. I was humming along to these first two tracks in my head for days after I first listened to the EP. Andrew Spraggon, the man behind Sola Rosa, demonstrates an innate understanding of what makes a good song – as he has done in the past with hits like Del Ray and Turn Around. It’s the simplicity he imparts in his song writing and production, and the way he coalesces electro-ambience into the sound, which really energises a good Sola Rosa track.

Trail’s third appearance on the EP comes in the form of Truth where he throws in a more roots/reggae zest.

The soulful Back to You features up-and-coming singer Noah Slee – a name to remember as this is a voice you will not forget. This downbeat song is enfolded with Slee’s enthralling falsetto and Spraggon does well to complement these expressive vocals with an undercurrent of rhythm and almost jazzy effects. The EP’s final tracks are two remixes of Back to You. The first from Flytones (producers from Istanbul) is an extraordinary reimagining of the original; taking its soul and infiltrating it with an upbeat and old-school, 80’s funk vibrancy. The Potatohead People remix stays truer to the original but casts down the beat with a heavier strike.

On In Spaces Spraggon keeps his production understated and paves the way for three very strong vocalists to take charge. It’s this kind of musical direction that has made Sola Rosa remain a staple of the industry and completely master the elements of such an array of genres across his career. In Spaces is imbued with an aural glow of delectable soundscapes that elevate melodies to higher ground.

_{Review written by Janise Kumar}