The antithesis of his love-struck debut offering Salem, the second EP by Mars Baby, titled Echoes, is one of heartache, grief, and healing.
The five-track record is all about the end of a spiritually intoxicating relationship – a vulnerable account of Mars Baby’s agonising release from the shackles of an endearing and addictive intimacy.
Lead single “Be Safe” is a synthesised slow-burn, hinging on Baby’s soft and affectatious vocal delivery, one strongly reminiscent of the queen of sad-pop herself, Billie Eilish. You hear the hopelessness in his voice, while everything around him hovers, a stuttered trap beat pervading the despair.
Tracks like “Clean” and “Lily” are deeply personal, each one a tender strung melody accompanying Baby’s frank lyricism on addiction. “Baby I’m three months clean/ but I can find a vein for you,” he croons on “Lily”, an electric guitar bringing things to a moody close, while “Clean” ripples off into varying falsettos.
Mars Baby seems to be refining himself with every step forward, offering up a stylistic mix of bedroom pop and R&B, and while he’s still some way from an original sound he can call his own, the sincere romance of his writing will leave a lasting impression.
Feature pic supplied by artist
