The Hours: Morning

Cautious Clay’s discography is charmingly unpredictable. The Cleveland-born songwriter introduced a hybrid pop-R&B style on early releases like 2021’s *Deadpan Love* before fully embracing jazz on 2023’s *KARPEH*. His 2025 album *The Hours (Morning)* finds the artist born Joshua Karpeh trying to sonically encapsulate the morning hours of the day, expanding his palette to include indie rock, soul, and electronic music. “Traffic (7am)” features Karpeh trying his hand at alt-pop, crooning over jangly percussion and soaring guitar solos. Elsewhere, on “Father Time (10am)” he again favors an uptempo rhythm, placing his confident vocals against pulsing drums and synths that fly above his words. Cautious Clay’s mood, perspective, and disposition change with each tick of the clock, offering the perfect platform for his constantly shifting approach to songwriting.