Release Date: February 3, 2023
Genre: Indie Pop, Pop Rock
Label: Independent California-based singer, rapper, and producer Caye has been thrilling listeners for the last eight years. Originally, Caye broke into the industry as a producer, producing for the likes of Alessia Cara, Meghan Trainor, and Abhi the Nomad. He went on to rap over his own beats, which caught the attention of rapper Wiz Khalifa, which led to a feature on Caye's track "Easy." Over the years, Caye has released a handful of EPs, including Shades (2016), Pink Tree Paradise (2018), and Isa (2020). Fast forward to February 2023, Caye's back with his latest release, his debut full-length, WE LOVE. Caye's debut album is a culmination of what makes him unique. WE LOVE reflects Caye's own experiences as a creative and as a person. The eight songs are almost entirely written and produced by Caye himself, which captures the evolution of what his sound has become over the years. At the start of Caye's music career, he rapped over his own beats -as aforementioned- and progressed into a more indie pop sound that was utterly unique to himself. He doesn't allow himself to be pigeonholed into any one genre anymore. WE LOVE serves to highlight Caye's incredible musicianship and creative songwriting -along with the evolution he has taken to his music. But it was in 2020 that he set out on an artistic mission to expand his talents in new ways. He travelled to remote regions of California, hauling around his instruments, art supplies, and other equipment -alongside a full band of like-minded musicians to write and record music that was improvised on the spot. WE LOVE is the magic of improvisation. "WE LOVE, PT. 1" immediately showcases where Caye has taken his music. With an indie pop jam featuring himself singing over a rippled didgeridoo line. Whereas "SOME LAKES" takes a turn, featuring the use of vocal effects and a switch to the lane of pop-rock and a harmonious guitar solo. The track goes everywhere it can. "MILFORD SOUND" is a mellow, slower vibe featuring Caye's unbelievable falsetto, backed by beautiful melodies and guitars. "LOSE SLEEP" hears Caye return to his roots, and he raps a verse while giving listeners a very atmospheric pop track, filled to the brim with various layered sounds to keep you sucked into the mesmerizing gaze of his music. Some of Caye's influences shine in the track "SCARS," a tune that samples tidbits from The Verve's massive 1997 hit "Bitter Sweet Symphony." Caye's virulent debut album WE LOVE closes out with the duo of tracks "DOPAMINE" and "WE LOVE, PT. 2." First, "DOPAMINE" is an absolute standout track. It masks itself behind an acoustic guitar, but as the song evolves, it becomes an upbeat, nostalgic-riddled pop-rock musical number that is overflowing with a very positive message. The track immediately transported me back to the mid-2000s, and I could have mistaken "DOPAMINE" as a sequel to The Black Eyed Peas hit 2003 single, "Where Is The Love?" While the album's closing track, "WE LOVE, PT. 2," starts with a dreamy, slow build. Then it pulls from everything heard on the previous seven tracks for one huge musical arrangement. Caye has built upon his classical training by experimenting with everything he can invoke into his music. Caye draws from everywhere, pulling elements from jazz, hip-hop, rock, calypso, pop, and reggae, his music has become bound to no set genre, and he has created a signature sound that is of his own, and as a result of this creative expression and growth, you just don't know what to expect from him next. One minute, he can put out another rap track. The next second, he could be dabbling in EDM. Unpredictable musicians are the most interesting, and one thing is for certain, no listener of Caye can tell you what he will release next.
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