#FeatureFriday Voice My Thoughts-EP by Abe Shaw

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The genre interplay on the Voice my Thoughts EP kept me on my toes through all 6 tracks. This EP is such an enjoyable and engaging listen. The first song, “Feels like Rain”, has my whole heart. Emotionally, the opening hooks me in immediately by opening with “Someone tell me how I let the pain out / Holding all my doubts and it feels like rain / Someone save me, drowning in rage now / Tryna stay afloat, but the dam might break”.

It’s easy to go along for the genre-spanning ride when it begins with feelings I grapple with so often. The second verse is after my own Classics loving heart: not only does a gorgeous choral start here, but the Eurystheus and Muses references grab my attention, paying it off with a growl of “[…] I’m Hercules when it comes to pain /But that’s gotta change, I gotta let it drain”. I absolutely love the change-up that happens after the bridge, it sets up expectations nicely for the variety that awaits in the songs to come.

Tangled Head is a lovely, comforting listen. The vocals are beautiful, and I can’t be the only one who heard “Know you’re safe with me” and could already picture this song as the soundtrack to so many shipping edits across fandoms. ROI or RIP is a cautionary tale that fellow independent artists will appreciate: a sober warning about label promises and the recoup structure often hidden in their fine prints.

Promenade is a song I’m itching to see live, especially given its intro, as well as the tone shift on “morning sunshine / there’s no kiss goodbye”. It’s gotten quite a few repeats from me already, very much wanting to yell “we about to go off” along with Abe Shaw and concert attendees. This track is so much fun, all the way to the excellent ending. In Family’s Us, the narrated childhood beats expand, drawing out a family tree. The strings along with the lovely runs really punctuate how heartfelt this song is, and the lyrics uplifting the artist’s young nephew really stand out when the choir comes in.

Hungry (Million Reasons) is a great closer, motivational in a way I didn’t think to expect after such an introspective body of work, but it doesn’t stray from that introspection at all, even while being so hype. The affirmations hit hard, and “I got my ancestors with me / I got Nigeria in me” has been living in my head on loop since the first time I heard it. The whole EP has made it to my favourites so fast and every listen since has been a great time.

koteBlue

I love me some Rap Music with a soulful bent and this week’s Feature Friday pick by the wonderful and talented KoteBlue offers exactly that. Abe Shaw offers a vocal style ranging from soulful singing to rapping ranging from soft-spoken raps that suit the more introspective sound on display here but also some excursions into more hard-hitting raps. This interplay between soft-spoken sweet raps and the momentary excursions into a more hard hitting style offers us a dynamic vocal style that is matched perfectly with the production on offer here which is equally dynamic and layered.

You get your obligatory 808-style sounds here but layered with some more traditional synths and keyboard sounds. it makes for an overall more soulful sound if somewhat too clean for my personal likings. I would’ve loved to hear some more gritty edge to the production which would offer the perfect contrast to Abe’s more soft-spoken introverted vocals. I will say though that the sporadic Gospel-style backings do wonders to add some more life to proceedings.

Things do pick up on the latter half of the EP where the track ‘Promenade’ seems to kick off a more harder-edged without eschewing the overall soulful sound of the rest of the record. It’s the same overall vibe, it just seems to come to life more. And sadly, it makes for a bit of a rear-loaded experience. Had the songs been mixed up more I’d feel that it would’ve benefited the overall pacing because I love the softer songs as much as the more energetic harder hitting stuff! But seeing them packed together in clumps seems to take some life out of the pacing of the album sadly.

But I will admit that these are mere nitpickings on my part as the talent on display here is obvious. In fact it made me hungry to check out Abe’s more recent outings since we are talking about a 2023 release here. So if you love Rap with some heartfelt Soul I’d definitely recommend checking this out, you will not regret it.

Eveyweveydevey

What I really like about this EP is that it flows, it flows with a melodic edge but has an anger, a tension, bite. At times the arrangement seems quite minimal but it’s more intricate than that. The vocals carry this, raw, edgy and emotionally charged but. The arrangements are smart, super smart. Quick and slick. Not flashy, just clever. Everything feels like it is measured, informed, articulate in what it is trying to put across.

There’s an easy swoon to the vocals, smooth. Any effects are tasteful and suit the arrangements really well. Second listen and that bite is still there, lyrically it feels like getting something out but still finding the song’s melody in there.

Honesty, passion and grooves. Those swoon vocals can turn on a sixpence into a snarling rap and it is that that grabs your attention. I love the amount of thought that has gone into this EP. It shifts easily, never feels forced, always naturally moves from one mood to another.

Really enjoyed this.

Recommended.

Untidy Music

What I really enjoy about our Feature Fridays, is the variety of music we get exposed to. Abe Shaw’s EP “Voice My Thoughts” is a great example of music we have done far too little of.
In equal parts Hip-Hop and R&B, these are six songs that deal with different aspects of life. From a melancholic memory to a chest-pumping reminder of what can be accomplished, Abe is showing a great sensibility in choosing the right vocal performance for each song. And what performances they are! The vocals range from bright and smooth to growled and gritty; all dripping with emotion.

The instrumental side of the music is relatively minimalistic, but chosen in a way that it supports the groove and flow of the vocals, while still offering a little bit extra. Choir effects in particular are used to enhance the tracks, making them feel bigger than they appear at first glance.
Overall, this was a great introduction to an artist. There is a variety of topics that feel grounded and relatable and the vocal performance is captivating, yet easy to get into. This is an EP that I can easily recommend to everyone who enjoys a bit of raw emotion in their music.

Florgoth

It’s #FeatureFriday and today we have a short, sweet EP, “Voice My Thoughts,” by @abetshaw.bsky.social.
This was very enjoyable, with good arrangements and great vocals.
https://abeshaw1.bandcamp.com/album/voice-my-thoughts-ep

Aaron Smith

Updated: January 23, 2026 — 12:05 pm

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