Last year, Eri Ife released a self-titled EP featuring 6 electro-folk tracks perfect for a Sunday evening acoustic set. Remi Baggins’ eigengrau also dropped last year, showing off his mix and mastering skills on 6 tracks ending with the Neo-psychedelia track “trippy ass outro”. The follow-up project is a collective EP YLLW that sees both artists bringing these distinct talents together to compel various emotions in 5 neo-r’n’b tracks.

It’s not uncommon to find emerging artists combining efforts to produce songs or extended projects together, YLLW sets the duo apart with often missing chemistry.

Like one might with a group of strangers soon to become friends, both artists start by introducing themselves on “Yeah” “My name my name my name my name” Eri Ife sings over guitar filled instrumentals from Sir Bastien and Jaytrix. With crowd hype lyrics, they sung at intervals by both singers, they invite listeners to journey with them through the story they start here and finish on “Yllw” the titular final track.

The story-telling theme continues as the tempo picks up on the second track,  “B’Ori Pe” with a tale about humble beginnings and a committed promise to be great. “I’ll be grinding ’til I’m Up Leaving the dream”, they’re singing in a convincing tone that impels you to believe them. The self-defining narrative ends here with “Bastian’s interlude”, sung entirely by the project’s lead guitarist Sir Bastien after which the duo returns with serenades for a love interest on “My City” featuring Bryan The Mensah.

Eri Ife and Remy Baggins bring the project to a close with “YLLW”, where both singers acknowledge the importance of their crafts in the definition of the lives. Eri Ife implies on “B’Ori Pe” that his craft is all there is to him, but on “YLLW” he reveals a realisation that his life is more than his music. “Now I see that there is so much more to me than some verses on a beat”.

“Tomiwa is figuring it out…” Tweet at her @fauxxbella

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