Mighloe - Desperate Times (2021)

Desperate Times, the newest project by Toronto-based singer-songwriter Mighloe, drifts into spring like a chilly breeze on a warm day, equal parts moody and refreshing and full of hushed yet controlled vocals and sounds. The seven-track EP is Mighloe's third independent release following 2018's All About You and 2020's Pretty, and it cultivates her growing sound of R&B and soul. A blend of sensuality, world-weariness and ultimately hope, Desperate Times blooms with self-reflection, establishing Mighloe as a Canadian artist to watch out for.

An idle, almost sleepy quality blankets each track, though in a way that feels far from sluggish or apathetic. The soft and airy "Stolen Paradise" sets the tone and eases listeners into a dreamlike state. "I've been floating through time for days now," Mighloe croons atop lush, fluid guitars, and listeners will feel as though they're right there floating with her on a lethargic summer afternoon. "Cruel" is reminiscent of a gentle doo-wop standard, like a song one might tipsily sing at a late-night karaoke bar.

On the single "Don't Call Me," Mighloe vents about her frustrations with people who come in and out of her life as they please; her aura is laidback and nonchalant, but her snappy vocals can't hold back the fact that she's clearly fed up with uncaring presences in her life and wishes to move on.

The EP is lounge-y and contemplative, from the eerie and ghostly echoes on title track "Desperate Times" to the slow drawl of "Into the Tide." Mighloe appears to tread through the hardships in her life drearily and with speculation, but she manages to do this without losing the charm or spark of her R&B and soulful sound. Desperate Times is simple yet enticing and relatable, showing Mighloe to be a versatile and honest artist.