UCHAYE finds her spark and fire again following a tough breakup on her emphatic new EP WAR IS OV3R
An exciting emerging artist who’s sound hits like a forward-thinking hybrid of 80s alternative rock with a modern, fiery edge, Minneapolis-based Nigerian-Zimbabwean artist UCHAYE has delivered an emphatic statement in the form of her dynamic debut EP WAR IS OV3R, a collection of tracks that explore the transformation and liberation that our experiences afford us, catapulting us into the people we end up being.
Setting the scene for what is to come in alluring fashion on ‘Denial (Interlude)’, the EP bursts into life on the track proper ‘Denial’, immediately showcasing a slick, memorable guitar riff before delving into a narrative of heartbreak and the psychological strain that comes with a relationship ending. The track explores the grief that comes with such territory and the possessive, manic nature that comes with refusing to let go, all set alongside a gorgeously bluesy soundscape that offers a sense of smoothness to go alongside the rough.
The punky ‘Survival’ follows, and follows on the story from ‘Denial’ with a new sense of clarity and defiance from the artist, using a fun and upbeat sound to paint a picture of acceptance and seeing the other person for what they truly are. The track has a really liberating and cathartic feel to it throughout, and showcases the artist firmly back in control and shaping her own destiny following a period where she lost herself and got consumed in her situation.
This metamophasis continues into ‘Currency’, a track that is rooted in the artist’s ambition, pouring herself into her craft rather than chasing romance again, in search of meaning in the form of success and wealth. The track’s swaggering chorus states “money makes me happier than you”, and this, compounded with the track’s ambitious, melodic, multi-genre feel really double down on this idea that the artist is now thriving and doing better.
The artist’s more straight-laced, bluesy side rears its powerful head on the album closer ‘Live Wire’, a track with guitars that instantly invoke feelings of artists like Jimi Hendrix and Lenny Kravitz while the personality and dynamism of UCHAYE’s vocals ensure that the track feels solely and entirely her own. The feelings of catharsis and liberation really hit hard here, and there is a lack of inhibition or any kind of restraint on the artist and her sound that feels intoxicating and instantly compelling.
Across the span of just a few tracks, WAR IS OV3R tells the story of somebody bouncing back from a personal low point and emerging fiercer and more powerful than ever at the end, carving a liberated and all-encompassing figure that grows stronger and more assured with every passing track. It makes for a listening experience that pulls you along for every step of the journey, and one that will resonate with anybody who has had to reconfigure and find themselves after losing it somewhere along the way.
