I featured Kalbells’ great 2020 EP Mothertime in my Recommended Albums of April 2020 feature, but man, I really gotta give it some individual shine in its own post. I’ve been listening to it pretty regularly and continue to marvel at the elasticity of the synths and the palpable personality of the vocals. Solo artist Kalmia Traver has whipped up a short, satisfying product featuring awesome sound design, lovely little accents of marimba + mallet percussion, and subtly addicting songs that reel you back in with inventive melodies and lots of KICK. For some reason it reminds me of the mushroom town level in Super Mario Sunshine. Anyone else?

This is an artist I would kill to see live one day once we’re allowed to do that. Maybe at like, The Sultan Room in Brooklyn or something. (Editor’s note: just looked into Kalbells’ fall tour dates and she is in fact going to play Sultan Room, and is also touring with blog favorite Bernice. Unfortunately not in NYC, but alas – hope shows can happen by then). Until then, please enjoy this EP + hope that there’s more music from Traver in the near future.