The Los Angeles based duo The Image jumpstarts 2021 with their impressive debut, Okay: An LA Story. Consisting of Hawaii's Franskiiz (vocals, production, engineering) and LA native Watrcup (vocals, songwriting, arranging), the masked pair are skilled in a range of genres. Determined to build on the success of last year's singles "Believe in Me" and "Beaujolais," this EP will keep spirits high through tough times.
The triumphant single "Morning Prayer" kicks off the 8-track EP with an infectious blend of pop, R&B, and hip-hop, a testament to the group's genre-bending abilities. Anchored by the trap hi-hat and punctuated with horns, a bright piano loop forms the foundation for this EP's most danceable song. Uplifting and uptempo, it's a guaranteed mood-booster.
"OKAY" maintains this energy with a magnetically pulsing beat, but just when you think it's about to let loose, it breaks down into one of the more lyrically vulnerable sections of the entire collection. This is a welcome, albeit surprising, shift in the midst of an otherwise boastful song. The pair follow this up with "Comfortable," crooning over reverb-soaked guitars about infatuation at first sight.
The Image's multi instrumental talent and diverse inspirations shine through on this EP, with notable moment such as the distorted guitar solo on "Super Lit Boi" and a Whitney Houston same on "Every Woman". Kawelo and Prznt feature on "Sex On The Roof" and "Put Em Up," respectively. Combined with "FTJ," these final three tracks act as a counterweight to the more pop infused parts of the EP.
Paying homage to their life in the city, The Image's Okay: An LA Story brings them full circle to where they met in 2019. Reminiscent of good times, this EP is an exciting taste of what's to come.
