Kadhja Bonet – The Visitor EP

Los Angeles’ Kadhja Bonet (pronounced “Kad-ya”) has been catching glances throughout the music world for about a year now. A collection of singles that defy the confinements of genre put her on the map. Now, she’s re-released her debut “The Visitor EP” via Fat Possum, and it has people reeling.

The entire release gives you a strong taste of what can only be characterized as “psychedelic soul”. It’s a revamping of seventies songwriting, leaving behind all the uglier parts of the time period and infusing it with a 21st-century spin. Kadhja Bonet’s lyrics are masterful, and she ups the ante for modern soul. Her lines aren’t just emotional, they’re poetic. Or at least for the parts you can understand. Honestly, much of it is too muddled to make heads or tails of what’s actually happening. In her track “Honeycomb”, which was named THUNDERCLAP: Best New Music on HighClouds, she writes, “beckoning, with fickle majesty, your whims are always met”. It’s this kind of composure that draws you in and keeps you pondering with every listen, even if you’re unsure of the words being spoken.

As a consistent master of composition and lyrics, Kadhja Bonet shines with the re-release of her debut “The Visitor EP”.

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The flawless composition doesn’t just stop with the lyrics. Kadhja Bonet’s classical music training shines through in all aspects of this EP. The guitar and violin contributions are wonderfully constructed. And as if she wasn’t impressive enough already, Kadhja performed all of the string and woodwind portions herself.

Part of the difficulty in writing this review is the sheer volume of ideas and musical concepts that “The Visitor EP” brings to the table. The more you listen, the more you find, and the more you find, the more you want to listen. It’s a cyclic rhythm that draws you in and grips tightly upon your mind. The DIY tactics combined with a classic take on composition have produced a piece of content unlike anything to release yet this year.

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Elements of jazz, modern soul, and the psychedelic 70’s come together in “The Visitor EP” to present a sound unlike anything I’ve heard in quite some time. Kadhja Bonet is proving to be a consistent master of composition and lyrics. Sit back, relax, and dive down the rabbit hole with this mind-blowing debut EP.

Peter Vowell
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