I’m willing to bet you haven’t heard of 27 year old Josh Karpeh, known by stage name Cautious Clay. With an eclectic mix of R&B and hip hop tunes, he first burst onto the scene in 2015 and since then, it’s only been a success for this young singer. He has a distinctive vocal tone that renders him easily identifiable, and the capitalisation in his song names is something I find personally, very aesthetically pleasing. (Brockhampton vibes, perhaps?)
His latest EP, Table of Context, not only features tracks that feel like perfect dance tunes, but also explore the emotions of ending relationships in ‘Swim Home’, from 13 Reasons Why Season 3 soundtrack, and a fear of intimacy in my personal favourite, ‘Stolen Moments’.
Yet, I’m sure you HAVE heard of the tracks he has songwriting credits on – listened to Taylor Swift’s ‘London Boy’ lately, or John Legend’s ‘Actions?’ Having co-written these, and many other, explosively popular tracks, he proves that like many of the greats, he has a storytelling touch that spins heightened emotion into any genre he crosses paths with.
His latest single, ‘Agreeable’, released on September 15, is a relaxed track that hints at what’s to come in the upcoming album he’s been mentioning recently, to which a 2021 release has been promised for fans. It will no doubt be filled with more eloquently written lyrics and exciting instrumentals – there has never been a better time to start streaming Cautious, so get to it!
9/10: A name featuring alliteration is star quality in itself ngl