TO FEEL ALIVE

*TO FEEL ALIVE* punches in at just around ten minutes, but it manages to offer plenty in its sample-sized space. Kali Uchis, who tweeted that the EP was recorded alone during quarantine, captures the spirit of longing for physical touch and companionship coupled with reflection. Songs like “honey baby (SPOILED!)” and “angel” are right in her wheelhouse—both are remakes of tracks that emerged early in her career but were never formally released—and they land like the lovelorn musings of a woman who doesn\'t lack for power or confidence; seduction has always seemed to come naturally to her. The comically X-rated cover art hints at the project\'s recurring theme, but not at its sensuality. Even when she\'s more vulgar (“Hope you pin me to the wall like a painting...I just want some head and a few wet kisses,” she sings sweetly on the simmering “i want war \[BUT I NEED PEACE\]”), her lithe voice imbues the words with a fragility and tenderness that make them sound less like a demand and more like raw desire. The title track pivots inward to take note of a relationship gone sour and the costs of fame, culminating in the declaration of one of her highest truths: “I just wanna feel somethin\'.”

The Colombian-American musician delves into the archive for these polished versions of previous demoes