Having never heard of Louis Baker before I was given this review I was unsure what to expect.
This wasn't a bad thing though- have you ever heard an artist for the first time and just sat there going, wow, this is cool.
Well that's pretty much what happened to me, and I'm not normally a big fan of the singer songwriter style of music.
You can very much hear the “Wellington sound” throughout this album, the “softly sung while heartfelt and soulful” style of singing that seems to predominantly rear it's head out of the windy city.
This is a very relaxed album, a contemplative sit down and just chill kinda album. If you want to get amped up to party maybe pick something else, but if you're looking to just sit out on the deck in the sun having a beer then put this album on and let Louis' voice take you away.
I like the stripped back approach to this album, it's almost as though he's left some room for the listener.
What's even more interesting about this EP is that apparently all these songs were written over six years ago while he was only 17, and we all know how much things can change in 6 years which leaves me wondering what he has up his sleeve waiting to come out, what's next, and when do we get to hear it?
Soulful singer-songwriter Louis Baker is undoubtedly one of the most compelling voices to emerge from Aotearoa New Zealand’s fertile musical landscape in recent years.
Crafting his work from a place of deep artistic integrity, Louis has gathered a loyal following that spans the world over. Everyone from India.Arie (“Louis Baker, you sing my soul,”) to BBC 6 Music, Clash Magazine and Earmilk have shown love for what he is, and has become.
Growing up in the working-class suburb of Newtown, Wellington, Louis developed his passion for music at an early age listening to his parents diverse record collection, which featured the likes of Miles Davis, Marvin Gaye and Joni Mitchell.