It’s summertime; that means time for rolling with the top down, sweaty afternoons cruising the metropolis, and — of course — summer love. Whether it’s [literally] an affair that will fade with the change with the season, or endure the harsh winter climate, it still has one thing in common; it’s a roller coaster of emotion. The feeling is perfectly encapsulated by Toronto singer/rapper ElceeTheArtist, and electro producer Bonham Carter, whose new EP — Love Notes — is the new soundtrack for your seasonal emotions. Across the concise five-song effort, the duo craft a sound that is not wholly unique, but the consistent tone that can loosely be considered conceptual.
From the onset, Elcee describes universal love-at-first-sight insecurities on the EP opener “Karma Cafe,” and drops some relationship hints on “The Little Things,” where he describe the minute details he strives to pick up on as he gets to know his lady friend a bit better. Any woman will tell you that’s a major key. Overall, he paints the many angles of a relationship, over a flowy sound bed that could have just as well been the product of a west coast influence, with hints of early 2000 Neptune’s synths splashed in for added cool factor.
The more [arguably] sexy vibes he drops on the project closer, “Drunkk,” closely resemble a dude version of Queen B’s smash Drunk In Love. My fave track was “Sorry,” which is sums up the universal plight of the working artist — the girl or the music. The song suggests that he chose music, ironically in an effort to keep the girl.
Elcee and Bonham deliver a solid effort more than worth a spot on your long-weekend end of summer playlist. Give it a spin — and check a few of (Elcee’s) past visuals below!
