The intro tracks of albums are often just a piece of atmosphere, a sonic aperitif before the main musical dish. But, here on Catalina Cara’s EP What A Feeling, it is actually a key part of the whole affair. Taking the form of a recording of Cara on the therapist’s chair, she articulates many of the thoughts and emotions that run through the songs to follow, as if she has taken those things revealed in those sessions and, by turning them into songs, conquered her fears.
“gotta be scared,” the first song proper, is a lush blend of neo-soul and pop, trip-hop vibes, and 80’s synth understament — the sort of spacious electronic dance music suitable for the early hours in the chill-out rooms of the most sophisticated, uptown clubs. “Shinon,” which follows, is more futuristic and eclectic, but still strangely addictive. “Circles” rises from piano ballad to nu-disco euphoria, and the title track rounds things off with a beguiling and elegant pop shuffle.
But as upbeat and accessible, shimmering and sunstrewn as the music often is, it is actually music born out of a period of silence and struggle for Cara. It is a sonic diary, an account of dealing with such pain and grief and of coming back from the darkest chapters of your life, each track reflecting a stage of that transformation, the sharing of which has enabled Catalina Cara to close the door on her inner turmoil and open one which lerads to hope and rebirth.
That’s the power of making music.
