(February 22, 2019) Valentine’s Day may be over but vulnerable confessions and whispered sweet nothings in your ear are always in season. This is something singer-songwriter Kawan DeBose hasn’t forgotten as he pours into listeners' ears a cooing, sinewy tenor over a bed of classic soul harmonies, spare piano chords, and sweet acoustic guitar twangs on his latest single, “My Dearest.” On the devotional cut to his beloved, but sometimes hurtful partner, Debose scales the rafters for a singular high note that pierces the sky and listeners’ hearts. It’s a teaser moment that leaves listeners wanting more. While the soulful ballad wears its heart on its sleeve, its sentimentality is light and charming rather than heavy and cloying. Much like the artist’s early work, the spacious cut breathes bright, fresh air while tackling emotionally weighted love and relationship topics.
(February 22, 2019) Valentine’s Day may be over but vulnerable confessions and whispered sweet nothings in your ear are always in season. This is something singer-songwriter Kawan DeBose hasn’t forgotten as he pours into listeners' ears a cooing, sinewy tenor over a bed of classic soul harmonies, spare piano chords, and sweet acoustic guitar twangs on his latest single, “My Dearest.” On the devotional cut to his beloved, but sometimes hurtful partner, Debose scales the rafters for a singular high note that pierces the sky and listeners’ hearts. It’s a teaser moment that leaves listeners wanting more. While the soulful ballad wears its heart on its sleeve, its sentimentality is light and charming rather than heavy and cloying. Much like the artist’s early work, the spacious cut breathes bright, fresh air while tackling emotionally weighted love and relationship topics.
The usually self-produced DeBose hasn’t graced the pages of SoulTracks in a while, since his beautifully sung 2011 Exposed EP, but that doesn’t mean the one-time contestant on the 2017 season of The Voice on Team Adam Levine hasn’t kept himself busy over the years. The Floridian released a single, “California,” in 2013, likely right around the time he joined those other talented West Coast souls looking to make it in L.A. The NBC talent contest also released a few singles on him based on show performances. Reportedly, this new independent single is just the first step of a rollout for a fuller, long-awaited project from Debose, who has picked up a whole new set of fans from his Voice tenure. My Dearest, we can’t wait to hear it.
By L. Michael Gipson