Kayla Waters is back with a new effort for 2023. It is called Presence, and she made a point to compose all ten tracks on the album. Even though she did most of the work, Waters has enlisted a couple of heavyweights for assistance. Her father, Kim Waters, and Chris ‘Big Dog’ Davis.
Review – ‘Presence’ by Kayla Waters
The set kicks off with Abundance. We like the overall bounce of the song, and Waters certainly knows what she is doing, as you can feel the attitude through her piano play. The brass strings underneath add a nice touch.
In Waterkisses, we have an ‘uptempo’ light groove. Her style is almost a New Age vibe, so even though the track is upbeat, you still haver a smoothed out base. There are also some nice RnB undertones for you to enjoy.
Acoustic Wind is next. This is definitely a feel good track, with the mid-tempo beat, the rolling bassline and of course, the stellar piano play. You will also like the breakdown with the wind sound effect.
Waters describes Undulation as the art of flow, the art of rhythmic waves. We will add “the art of the bounce,” as this track will make you move in your seat.
We feel like there is a story to be told in At the Well. She changes up the arrangements several times throughout the song, and there are some beautiful elements for the listener to focus on.
Murky Moon is really nice. We are getting some Keiko Matsui vibes on this one. With it’s uptempo groove and aggressive piano play, this is one of the standouts on the album.
If you ever wondered what New Age Hip-Hop sounded like, you may want to check out Pianissimos. The beat is kind of hard, which is a good thing, then you have the soothing piano play over that beat, which makes this an interesting piece of music.
In Salt n’ Soak, Waters breaks it all the way down. A slow jam with an airy sound that offers the imagery of relaxing in the bath after a long day. The sax play only adds to the feeling.
The track Oceanz of Love sounds like a track with a purpose. Even though this is an instrumental, you feel a little inspiration emanating through the speakers. We still find it amazing that these artists can take the listener through a journey through their instrument.
The title track, Presence closes out the album. The track in itself is soothing, but we like the slow burn of the song. Starts out mellow, then it kicks up a little, not too much, though. Then the song ends like it begins, on a softer note.
The overall feel of Presence offers a little change of pace for the listener. For those who have a pallet for all types of music, this will fit right in with your collection. You can stream the album through your favorite service.