SHALLOU

‘Souls’

(EP Review)

Reviewer: Chelsea Wood

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Following months of teaser tracks and a huge sell-out tour of the US, D.C based producer shallou has finally released his highly anticipated, full seven-track EP, Souls. Showcasing what has been called his greatest work to date, Souls, captures shallou‘s niche blend of indie and electronics, through soulful vocal work, a touch of house, and an overall calming ambience. This EP also sees the artist collaborating with the likes of Kasbo, RIAH, Haux and more who in turn add further depth and dynamic to each track. Souls boasts shallou‘s notable emotional production style with each track of the EP taking the listener on a journey through a relationship; “from love to loss, and back again.” 

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Sigh opens up this journey with a delicacy created by piano work, a subtle beat, and slightly operatic vocals. The seaside sounds of people chatting, waves crashing, and seagulls chirping throughout the track make it stand out as carefully curated to encourage an emotional, even melancholic response from the listener.  

You and Me follows as an upbeat track which brings a house melody into the EP. When the chorus hits, the summery house beat brings an energy to the track that resonates with the emotions attached to falling in love. While his collaboration with Kasbo and Cody Lovaas, Find, suggests the agonising persistence during a relationship breakdown; beginning with a relaxed vibe, yet engulfing the chorus within an explosion of sound.  Similarly, Vignette follows as a sonically deep track that further toys with this mood.  

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As a mainly instrumental track, …Lost, opens with two people greeting each other at an open door. This particularly emotive piece suggests these two people coming together again is the start of a love that is on its way to being put back together, with the melody itself telling the story. 

Collaborating with RIAH on Lie sees the character of the EP lift, despite the song itself describing the hurt of being continuously lied to by the person you love. It’s the combination of RIAH‘s vocal and shallou‘s intense production that maintains the tropical house vibe, in turn making the track stand out amongst the others before the EP closes with a cathartic track, Skin. 

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Overall, shallou‘s ambient production style on Souls is an emotional journey that resonates with each listener. As each track progresses, the listener is taken further into the intimate world of shallou. Bursting with synths and emotive vocals, this EP maintains a consistent tranquillity throughout and highlights shallou‘s status as a producer whose career is slowly on the rise, while cementing his stance as one to watch on the electronic scene.   

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