Couros - Jupiter

Couros
Jupiter EP
2016
Spotify

The first thing you will notice is this album is not what you thought it was. From the moment Couros opens his mouth and you hear that wildly unique voice and then that R&B inspired electronica surrounding him, its special. Couros especially on this EP Jupiter, has found a sound that is so cutting edge and fits perfectly with today, not a week ago, nor a month, but this very moment. From the way ti sounds you would expect Jupiter to be a heavy dance record, but it more closely sides with R&B almost suggesting lyrics without actually always having them. "1213" features samples from NASA missions and evokes this real moodiness really flipping the tone of the album in to some new territory. It should be odd, it should not work, but somehow it does. The synth really is the star here with Couros able to mine some really great tones from the instrument especially on the opener "Breathe A*gain" as this almost blaring horn warbles in and out. "Breathe A*gain" and "Ne*ver Break" are the only two songs with proper lyrics and though the have some narrative it clearly is not the crux of the song. What Couros does extremely well is create a space for a particular mood or emotion. He sets it up and then delivers the goods.

What is really great about this album is just how vibrant it is. The tracks are so different and have a life all their own, but each has a vitality and newness that cannot be taken away. The one issue however is that Jupiter really feels like the beginning of something rather than a fully fleshed out idea. Once he is able to really dial these thoughts in to a razor sharp piece of music we are really going to have something on our hands, because the promise is so bright. "Cir*cles" and "Breathe A*gain" are the two standouts on the album and they also happen to be the most intricate. Really good stuff packed in to this little album, but what is on the horizon is what we should really be getting excited about.

7.0 out of 10