Written by Maria Arroyo
Hip-hop and DIY-alternative artist, Cayo Coco, turns heads with his, A Beautiful Moon EP, released today. Hailing from the streets of LA, Cayo Coco is truly in a league of his own.
Producer Lars Stalfors not only helped to create the EP; he also, in turn, helped Coco meet other musicians that helped bring this EP to life. Coco has no desire to be the center of attention and finds comfort on the outskirts of attention. “I tend to observe as opposed to interacting,” he says. “I’ve never felt comfortable in the social world.”
“He grew up listening to projects like King Krule & Tame Impala but was heavily influenced by Noah Shebib and as a result, was always making hip-hop beats,” explains his manager Christian Verstraete. “As a result, he was always making hip-hop beats. Eventually, it landed somewhere in-between those two worlds.”
His first song “Forever” has this intriguing R&B techno and sensual feel, almost like The Weeknd. On the next track, “Slide,” he shows off more of his beat-making skills. There are amazing melodic moments throughout the song, but particularity towards the end. Overall, I love the shape this song takes. As we dive deeper into his musical consciousness, exposed is a darker-toned song “Never Enough.” This song is a great mixture of the two previous songs, but the lyrics in this song stand out more than they did before, and I love that.
Now, just when I thought I couldn’t enjoy his writing style anymore, he creates this absolute masterpiece titled “Strangers.” This song has everything to make it to a nationwide audience. The song is catchy, there’s plenty of movement in the instrumentation, and throughout the song, he’s telling a story in the lyrics. I definitely see this song blowing up and becoming an anthem to those who resonate with it. This song truly was a massive turning point for the EP, and from then on, I was a fan.
photo credit: Lefton Loraine
“Recognize” has a similar feel to the previous songs, but there’s a hint of contemporary influence that takes this song to the next level. It is just the right amount of newness to add to the EP without completely changing his original direction.
Wrapping up the EP beautifully is “Somewhere Anywhere.” The acoustic feel created another nice change of pace and diversified not only his sound but his abilities as an artist.
The A Beautiful Moon EP takes me for more of a ride than a lot of full-length albums have. There’s a sense of honesty and relatability that ties me to his sound, and he does it in such an interesting and unique way. I truly hope (not that he needs it) that this reaches the most people possible because I’m truly more enlightened musically from listening to it.
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