There’s a new songstress in town and she goes by the name of Wafia. The Dutch-Arab, Brisbane-based vocalist has released her XXIX EP, and it is divine. This record has been in the works for two years, and we can tell that all of the hard work has paid off.
Wafia starts the record off with a piano prelude. Right off the bat, listeners can tell that it is a very soothing and mysterious intro for the EP. Her second track—”The Raid”—is eclectic yet familiar. It’s the kind of song you can see yourself jamming out to in a cool, sophisticated and tame way. The eccentric vocalizing and beats make it unique, but it pairs well with her clear vocals. That seems to be the trademark in the EP, the juxtaposition of her smooth singing against noticeably interesting vocalizing. As it moves on to the next two tracks, the rhythms are slowed down, and both are very cool and sleek. The distorted vocalizing is still intact in “Heartburn”; however, it turns more into a haunting and celestial sound in her “(Untitled)” track. There’s a definite tribal-esque feel to the two tracks. As she brings her EP to a close, listeners are surprised with a gentle ballad titled “Fading Through.” It stands out from the rest of the tracks as it’s stripped from the beats and the trademark vocalizing. Instead it is replaced with beautiful harmonies alongside Tim Bettinson of project Vancouver Sleep Clinic. Slow and soft piano chords play in the background with steady guitar licks as a Bettinson’s calming voice chimes in.
Throughout XXIX, there lies a very cool R&B theme along with a slight electronic familiarity to it. With this fire EP, we can’t wait to hear what she has in store for her debut album.