CARI - FLUX ep
I had first listened to CARI when she released Bleeding and I heard the line,
“Too busy fighting with me
You should be fighting your demons”.
The pen game was very serious and I wanted to hear more, so I was so pleased when Flux was bought to my attention. This is her debut EP and it doesn’t disappoint at all.
I feel like a broken record when I say this, but it goes to show I just enjoy good quality music. A singer who can play an instrument will always have my heart and CARI really brings not only her extraordinary pen game, but her impeccable ear to this project. The melodies throughout all the songs bring twists and turns that fit so well together. She uses her voice in a way that isn’t quite conventional to a rnb artist, as you can hear undertones of jazz and folk, which add a beautiful texture and almost ethereal vibe to the whole project.
To counteract the play on softness through the vocals, I am exposed to raw emotion and grit through her lyrics, and slight distortion of her voice and backing vocals. To me CARI is a conversational singer, ( I’m not sure if that is a thing, but I am making it a thing - so it’s a thing). While listening to this EP it was almost like she was speaking directly to someone or I was eavesdropping on a break up or she was having this conversation with herself. But to go back to the first point - if she was talking to someone then in her words, “oh, you bad bitch fumbler”.
There are a few songs that stood out to me but my absolute fave was Over & Over - wow. WOW. I was blown away. It was so beautifully executed, I just don’t have words but WOW. When I mention other artists, I don’t do it to compare in that way so DO NOT come for me, but this gave me SZA vibes without the italics. I loved it. Light with the vocals. Deep with the lyrics. Amazing combination.
One bone to pick with CARI - couldn’t Creature be a little longer? I’m swaying and moving in my home and it ends? Girl please, 1 minute 6 seconds. I had to wheeeeeeeeel it up and I wish the vocals were turned up slightly more on Flux. Other than that, I am sold.
This was a good listen but also an interesting one as it felt like was she was singing to a younger me. If I had listened to this ep early 2019 and early 2023 I would be on the floor crying but instead it’s making me appreciate my growth. An artist that can transport you back to a time or even forward to a moment that doesn’t exist yet, in my eyes is simply amazing.
It’s storytelling at it’s finest and CARI hits the mark.
Rating: 4/5
Top songs:
Over&Over
Bleeding
Creature
Colder in June