Review by Bailey Garno
Praised for it’s stimulating synthetic sounds and the artist’s own vocal prowess, singles “Salt” and “Headed for the Sun” foretold fun-loving party pop tracks on r.e.l.’s future EP. This past May, the Los Angeles native responded to those expectations with the self-titled EP, r.e.l.. It features her two singles plus four other tracks in what makes a dreamy compilation perfect your pregame playlist.
The first three tracks are likely the strongest out of the six, featuring two new songs in addition to the fun, out of this world single, “Headed for the Sun.” “All That Bite” kicks off the EP. In verse, r.e.l. frontrunner, Arielle Sitrick, gives off a smooth R&B sound singing in her rich lower register; but then, the chorus unexpectedly picks up in tempo and Sitrick swings into a higher register. It’s a pretty jarring transition, but given how eclectic and original the rest of the EP is, it works. “All That Bite” is totally fun and a likely favorite for listeners.
Another favorite for me is “Plateau.” I was singing along with the chorus in no time. The vibes on this track are all chill and I’m again reminded how comparable Sitrick is to the also young, pop dream sensation, Lorde.
Things slow down with the beautiful ballad, “Growing Pains” and the easy-listening but somber “Love Your Neighbor.” These songs especially demonstrate Sitrick’s songwriting abilities, which are thoughtful and totally deviate from the rather unoriginal stuff we hear on the radio nowadays. Although I don’t believe these two can compare to the party favorites “All That Bite” and “Plateau,” they do show how versatile r.e.l. is and that this fun-loving artist has a soft side.
For a listen to the full track list, head on over to SoundCloud now and give us your thoughts on past Feature Friday artist, r.e.l.
Rating: 3/5
Recommended Tracks:
“Headed for the Sun”
“Plateau”
Filed under: Reviews Tagged: album review, debut ep, headed for the sun, r.e.l
