Posted on: September 19, 2019 Posted by: James McQuiston Comments: 0

Drew Chale’s latest EP begins with Can’t Stop, a song that deftly ties together the sweeping synths of 1980s rock acts like Rush and Journey. The single defies all preconceptions about what music can be. There’s a tightly-wound, funky bass line that plays nicely with Drew’s darkly emotional vocals, a snap and clap track out of 1980s Miami dance music, and the aforementioned nod to arena rock. Where the distinct styles and approaches seem to be a bit far afield from one another, Chale is talented enough to make a cohesive entity out of Can’t Stop.

Charisma begins with a fun stanza that will have fans singing along before moving into an extended electronic-infused arrangement that is part Atom and His Package, part Red Hot Valentines. The decision to approach the vocals of the song in a Psychedelic Furs meets Boxcar Racer fashion is truly a masterstroke for Chale here. Further kudos has to be given with the multiple vocal layers that are interspersed through Charisma.

Yours For The Taking stands boldly out from popular music. With a much more intense focus on Chale’s vocals, this composition is Drew at his most experiment. I feel that this exercise keeps listeners on their toes; fans of EMF and Talking Heads will find something that they can dig here.
What Happens In Between and The Reward show two distinct sides to Chale’s personality. While there is a very stark and pointed vocal tack taken with the former, there is a touching and haunting approach taken to the latter.

Over the course of the last few months, we’ve been fortunate enough to cover a pair of songs from the Charisma EP; Motivate Me and Incredibly Beautiful . Check out Chale’s domain or Facebook for samples from the Charisma EP or for additional information about the performer.

Top Tracks: Yours For The Taking , What Happens In Between

Rating: 8.2/10

Drew Chale – ‘Charisma’ / 2019 Self Released / 7 Tracks / Domain / Facebook /

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