One of the most surprising parts of the Cincinnati music scene is just how geographical it is. That may sound silly, but hear me out.
The third track of Shades’ new self-titled EP, “Kinda Country” tells the story of a man from the Deep South who meets a woman from the Midwest — and you might see where I’m going with this. Take a look through my past highlights: The Tillers, The QCSS, The Silkies, Linwood. Cincinnati-area music is special because a part of the Queen City finds itself in the storytelling and the sound across genres and styles.
Enter Shades’ frontman, Mic. Carr, a veteran of R&B and hip-hop with over a decade of releases behind him. Originally from Tennessee, he has made Cincinnati his home and blended its long music history throughout his various projects. This new effort feels like a hopelessly optimistic chapter being started in his career.
Before the album even opens, renewal and rebirth are already front and center: the album art depicts a stork carrying a baby through dark clouds, with both the baby and stork wrapped in a Seussian-looking horn. The clouds might be dark, but the stork flies through anyway.
The opening seconds of the EP confirm as much: the words “hard times never broke me baby” kick off the project over boom bap drums and slick brass, creating a moody but unmistakably hopeful texture.
And the songs really take their time, traveling with the listener through them. The shortest studio track is over three minutes, giving ample time to experience the vibes of each song. “Kinda Country” opens with the sound of a tape machine and builds to a polished shine over its first minute — another example of the EP literally moving through something.
“Kinda Country” fades through brass, strings and ultimately the main guitar melody before transitioning to the live portion of the EP, which opens with “3am in Cincy” off his last project “Broken Crayons Still Color.” Remember what I said about Cincinnati being part of the music?
Mic. Carr and Shades have one message for you at the end of this record. The big takeaway from this new EP (and if you didn’t absorb it from listening, you should hear it again) is that: bad days never last, so grab your shades — the sun’s coming.
You can find last week’s feature on KNOTTS here. Leave a comment on our Instagram or email me at ebloomfield@linknky.com with your suggestions for next week’s local band highlight!