April + Vista - You Are Here EP (2018)

Singer/violinist April George offered a glimpse into the creation of her and producer Matt Thompson’s new EP, You Are Here. She spoke of the song “Until,” the project’s meditative closer. “I wrote [it] the day I found out my grandmother was dying,” George tweeted. “The lyrics explore the cyclical nature of life [and] my own struggle to accept the ebb & flow of experiences life brings.” The song, with all its somber introspection, speaks directly to the theme of the duo’s new EP as April + VISTA: Life, full of complications and uncertainty, is still a blessed journey that we’re all thankful to endure. It’s also a therapeutic record; on songs like “FOMO” and “How To Get By,” George ponders the pain of merely existing, using Thompson’s scant electronic soul arrangements to plead for her own sanity. Then there’s “Fo’Sho,” a dark, sauntering bounce on which George delivers the EP’s most notable line (to me, at least): “Ni***s don’t call you they mans ‘till they need a hand.” Preach. Sonically, the two craft lush melodies that blend several genres without leaning too heavily on one, making the EP seem longer than its 19-minute runtime suggests. You Are Here is cathartic—not only for George and Thompson, but for anyone needing to calm the inner conflict.