Latest news with #CautiousClay
Hamilton Spectator
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Music Review: Cautious Clay's dreamy R&B-pop ‘The Hours: Morning' is an exploration in time
Cautious Clay, the multi-instrumentalist whose dreamy R&B and indie-pop sound has earned him the attention of everyone from Arooj Aftab and John Mayer to Taylor Swift, embraces the passing of time on his latest EP, 'The Hours: Morning.' Across eight tracks each representing an hour from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m., Clay documents the clarity, optimism and sometimes sinking reality of the start of each day through soulful, funk-pop beats. 'The Hours: Morning' follows Clay's 2023 biographical album 'Karpeh' (titled after his given name, Joshua Karpeh) and joins a discography that shows his instrumental and vocal prowess. Clay's moody, breakout track, 2017's 'Cold War,' was interpolated by Swift on 'London Boy' for her 2019 record 'Lover, ' shortly after it featured in a scene in Olivia Wilde's coming-of-age comedy 'Booksmart.' His 2021 song 'Wildfire' accumulated tens of millions of streams on its own before being covered by Rosé of the mega-popular K-pop girl group Blackpink. It's a simple idea, framing songs around eight morning hours, but the structure of 'The Hours: Morning' allows for complex sonic exploration. Clay tasked himself with producing a distinct sound for each, emulating a specific mentality associated with the hour. The smooth R&B opener 'Tokyo Lift (5 am)' embraces early morning limbo, in his case, the afterglow of late-night karaoke. Unburdened by the realities of the day — 'You're in denial / But I'm not talking 'bout a river,' Clay sings in a raspy, whispered tone — the mood is light, the production mellow and synth-heavy. A flute solo adds brightness to the final verse, like a bird's call meeting the morning sun. 'Traffic (7 am)' starts with a string of relationship reflections. 'Every morning felt like traffic / Brain full of static,' he begins, eventually arriving at a sensual chorus of overlapping vocals. 'It's like poetry,' Clay sings, 'I felt the hair on my skin / Raising when you crashed in / To me.' The song is capped by Clay's crisp saxophone. Bass guitar adds funk to 'Amber (11 am).' And by 'Smoke Break (12 pm),' the EP's closer, Clay's voice is more pronounced. The drumbeats behind them, quicker. Clay isn't restricted by his hourly concept. Each song is engaging enough to exist outside of its designated time block, free of its parenthetical label. But together, Clay creates a colorful world — a morning listeners will want to wake up early for.
Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Book Review: 'Whack Job' tells the story of a simple survival tool turned murder weapon
Cautious Clay's latest EP, ?The Hours: Morning,? features eight tracks representing each hour from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m., exploring themes of clarity and optimism. Blending R&B and funk-pop, he creates distinct sounds for each hour, showcasing his instrumental talent. Following his biographical album ?Karpeh,? this project highlights Clay's evolution as an artist.
Winnipeg Free Press
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Music Review: Cautious Clay's dreamy R&B-pop ‘The Hours: Morning' is an exploration in time
Cautious Clay, the multi-instrumentalist whose dreamy R&B and indie-pop sound has earned him the attention of everyone from Arooj Aftab and John Mayer to Taylor Swift, embraces the passing of time on his latest EP, 'The Hours: Morning.' Across eight tracks each representing an hour from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m., Clay documents the clarity, optimism and sometimes sinking reality of the start of each day through soulful, funk-pop beats. 'The Hours: Morning' follows Clay's 2023 biographical album 'Karpeh' (titled after his given name, Joshua Karpeh) and joins a discography that shows his instrumental and vocal prowess. Clay's moody, breakout track, 2017's 'Cold War,' was interpolated by Swift on 'London Boy' for her 2019 record 'Lover, ' shortly after it featured in a scene in Olivia Wilde's coming-of-age comedy 'Booksmart.' His 2021 song 'Wildfire' accumulated tens of millions of streams on its own before being covered by Rosé of the mega-popular K-pop girl group Blackpink. It's a simple idea, framing songs around eight morning hours, but the structure of 'The Hours: Morning' allows for complex sonic exploration. Clay tasked himself with producing a distinct sound for each, emulating a specific mentality associated with the hour. The smooth R&B opener 'Tokyo Lift (5 am)' embraces early morning limbo, in his case, the afterglow of late-night karaoke. Unburdened by the realities of the day — 'You're in denial / But I'm not talking 'bout a river,' Clay sings in a raspy, whispered tone — the mood is light, the production mellow and synth-heavy. A flute solo adds brightness to the final verse, like a bird's call meeting the morning sun. 'Traffic (7 am)' starts with a string of relationship reflections. 'Every morning felt like traffic / Brain full of static,' he begins, eventually arriving at a sensual chorus of overlapping vocals. 'It's like poetry,' Clay sings, 'I felt the hair on my skin / Raising when you crashed in / To me.' The song is capped by Clay's crisp saxophone. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. Bass guitar adds funk to 'Amber (11 am).' And by 'Smoke Break (12 pm),' the EP's closer, Clay's voice is more pronounced. The drumbeats behind them, quicker. Clay isn't restricted by his hourly concept. Each song is engaging enough to exist outside of its designated time block, free of its parenthetical label. But together, Clay creates a colorful world — a morning listeners will want to wake up early for.
Associated Press
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Associated Press
Music Review: Cautious Clay's dreamy R&B-pop 'The Hours: Morning' is an exploration in time
Cautious Clay, the multi-instrumentalist whose dreamy R&B and indie-pop sound has earned him the attention of everyone from Arooj Aftab and John Mayer to Taylor Swift, embraces the passing of time on his latest EP, 'The Hours: Morning.' Across eight tracks each representing an hour from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m., Clay documents the clarity, optimism and sometimes sinking reality of the start of each day through soulful, funk-pop beats. 'The Hours: Morning' follows Clay's 2023 biographical album 'Karpeh' (titled after his given name, Joshua Karpeh) and joins a discography that shows his instrumental and vocal prowess. Clay's moody, breakout track, 2017's 'Cold War,' was interpolated by Swift on 'London Boy' for her 2019 record 'Lover, ' shortly after it featured in a scene in Olivia Wilde's coming-of-age comedy 'Booksmart.' His 2021 song 'Wildfire' accumulated tens of millions of streams on its own before being covered by Rosé of the mega-popular K-pop girl group Blackpink. It's a simple idea, framing songs around eight morning hours, but the structure of 'The Hours: Morning' allows for complex sonic exploration. Clay tasked himself with producing a distinct sound for each, emulating a specific mentality associated with the hour. The smooth R&B opener 'Tokyo Lift (5 am)' embraces early morning limbo, in his case, the afterglow of late-night karaoke. Unburdened by the realities of the day — 'You're in denial / But I'm not talking 'bout a river,' Clay sings in a raspy, whispered tone — the mood is light, the production mellow and synth-heavy. A flute solo adds brightness to the final verse, like a bird's call meeting the morning sun. 'Traffic (7 am)' starts with a string of relationship reflections. 'Every morning felt like traffic / Brain full of static,' he begins, eventually arriving at a sensual chorus of overlapping vocals. 'It's like poetry,' Clay sings, 'I felt the hair on my skin / Raising when you crashed in / To me.' The song is capped by Clay's crisp saxophone. Bass guitar adds funk to 'Amber (11 am).' And by 'Smoke Break (12 pm),' the EP's closer, Clay's voice is more pronounced. The drumbeats behind them, quicker. Clay isn't restricted by his hourly concept. Each song is engaging enough to exist outside of its designated time block, free of its parenthetical label. But together, Clay creates a colorful world — a morning listeners will want to wake up early for.
Hindustan Times
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Music Review: Cautious Clay's dreamy R&B-pop 'The Hours: Morning' is an exploration in time
Cautious Clay, the multi-instrumentalist whose dreamy R&B and indie-pop sound has earned him the attention of everyone from Arooj Aftab and John Mayer to Taylor Swift, embraces the passing of time on his latest EP, 'The Hours: Morning.' Across eight tracks each representing an hour from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m., Clay documents the clarity, optimism and sometimes sinking reality of the start of each day through soulful, funk-pop beats. 'The Hours: Morning' follows Clay's 2023 biographical album 'Karpeh' and joins a discography that shows his instrumental and vocal prowess. Clay's moody, breakout track, 2017's 'Cold War,' was interpolated by Swift on 'London Boy' for her 2019 record 'Lover, ' shortly after it featured in a scene in Olivia Wilde's coming-of-age comedy 'Booksmart.' His 2021 song 'Wildfire' accumulated tens of millions of streams on its own before being covered by Rosé of the mega-popular K-pop girl group Blackpink. It's a simple idea, framing songs around eight morning hours, but the structure of 'The Hours: Morning' allows for complex sonic exploration. Clay tasked himself with producing a distinct sound for each, emulating a specific mentality associated with the hour. The smooth R&B opener 'Tokyo Lift ' embraces early morning limbo, in his case, the afterglow of late-night karaoke. Unburdened by the realities of the day — 'You're in denial / But I'm not talking 'bout a river,' Clay sings in a raspy, whispered tone — the mood is light, the production mellow and synth-heavy. A flute solo adds brightness to the final verse, like a bird's call meeting the morning sun. 'Traffic ' starts with a string of relationship reflections. 'Every morning felt like traffic / Brain full of static,' he begins, eventually arriving at a sensual chorus of overlapping vocals. 'It's like poetry,' Clay sings, 'I felt the hair on my skin / Raising when you crashed in / To me.' The song is capped by Clay's crisp saxophone. Bass guitar adds funk to 'Amber .' And by 'Smoke Break ,' the EP's closer, Clay's voice is more pronounced. The drumbeats behind them, quicker. Clay isn't restricted by his hourly concept. Each song is engaging enough to exist outside of its designated time block, free of its parenthetical label. But together, Clay creates a colorful world — a morning listeners will want to wake up early for.
