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Brooklyn synth pop/R&B artist Amatus is releasing her debut EP, entitled Broken Compass. Amatus was previously located in Chicago, sitting in on sessions for artists like The Roots and Erykah Badu, if that’s any hint of her own eclectic style. Amatus combines a natural knack for a great pop hook with sparse and experimental instrumentation from the hard beats of “Messin” to the (comparatively) gentler side of “Punk.”
Amatus’ incredibly soulful vocals backed by syncopated hip hop beats, make for a highly artistic and original EP. Her influences seem to be wide and always surprising, from synth pop to hip hop, but stylistically she is similar to newer artists like Janelle Monae and Grimes. There are moments when her vocals call back to the greatest of Motown, yet they exist side by side with reverb-laden guitars similar to that of Depeche Mode as on “Cherish.”
However, her music seems to be positioned between the experimental and the accessible, as if she purposely isn’t looking for large commercial potential, but she gives everything enough of a pop undercurrent to make even the most avant garde moments extremely melodic. Broken Compass will be released on March 3rd by the artist, and I highly suggest giving it a listen.
