This is the epitome of short n’ sweet.
Kali Uchis’ new EP consists of four tracks spanning ten minutes that are enough to satisfy your Kali thirst, but just enough to leave you craving for more mellow bliss.
Throughout To Feel Alive, Uchis’ vocals are on full display. ‘It’s time to stop blocking these blessings / See, I just wanna grow into my greatness,’ Kali confidently declares on ‘i want war (BUT I NEED PEACE)’; a thought-provoking track, centred around the acknowledgement of a withering relationship. On the whole, Kali’s vocals are impeccable: she’s confident, powerful and her voice consistently grabs your attention.
You can hear a more polished side to Uchis’ abilities on To Feel Alive: her voice is one thing, but the production side is often an instrument in itself. During ‘Honey Baby (Spoiled)’, a reworked and remastered version of a previous demos; she moves from lo-fi to hi-fi, before settling on a gorgeous mixture of the two. Throughout the track each of her syllables float and flutter in the mix whilst the background features a static and rumbling drum sample – a mixture that few can master without coming across as cringeworthy or forced.
From ‘Honey Baby (spoiled)’ to ‘angel’ and on, it quickly goes from glimmering to gloomy. Ending the EP with TO FEEL ALIVE’, Kali turns reflective and haunting as she dissects a love in which the shots have been called: ‘I let them crucify me / I carry my head down, humble,’ she dreamily taunts. Despite her grievances, on surface level aesthetics the EP suggests otherwise. The sparkling synth sounds juxtapose the heavy subject of the final track; throwing a glittery watercolour wash over the slightly brutal lyric – a trademark Kali move.
A mellow blend of shiny-pop and R&B, To Feel Alive is cohesive and seamless. Listening to it, it’s easy vibes are enough make you drift off… But that’s alright, it’s over in approximately 10 minutes. Wakey, wakey.
Haiku Review:
Time for a daydream,
Maybe a little nap time,
Ten minutes shut eye,
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