TAKE TIME

Before receiving a hefty signal boost on Drake’s “Chicago Freestyle,” the singer-songwriter Giveon was growing into a force in his own right. Early singles like 2018\'s “Garden Kisses” and “Fields” were but an appetizer for what would become the delicious main course of his debut *TAKE TIME*. The EP frames the California crooner as an old soul with new ears, a balladeer who makes slowing down, just for a moment, well worthwhile. Giveon\'s voice is singular—vintage, fragile, wrenching—and he astutely chooses production that showcases it with ease. The project\'s first half is a tapestry of grooves slinking towards the engulfing crawl of the back end. “HEARTBREAK ANNIVERSARY” is largely piano and percussion, and he soars over it, creating harmonies with himself that render a simple line like \"Don\'t want to let you out my head\" as gospel. The lead single “LIKE I WANT YOU” pulls off a similar trick to create the kind of love song that sounds like it could exist in any era; some voices can be time-travelers. The bittersweet ballad “VANISH” tiptoes along a minimal melodic line, allowing the force of his vocals to propel the song forward and draw the EP to a close. On its face, *TAKE TIME* is the sentimental musings of a man wandering the corridors of his own heart, but it\'s also a snapshot of a singer who, despite his formidable R&B inclinations, is nimble enough to steal the show in any space he chooses.