Album Review: Kiéla Adira – Fool’s Croon EP

Magic from a flower.

Chicago artist Kiéla Adira just released her second EP this year. GROWTH was released in early August and is now accompanied by her newest release Fool’s Croon, this November. Adira’s style is assorted with hints of soul, jazz, R&B and hip-hop. Each genre appears tastefully throughout Fool’s Croon and integrates Adira’s sound into one.

The EP opens with a piano ballad called “Loves Me Not.” It is an ode to the youthful game of picking petals to discover the fate of one’s affection. Reflective in the lyrics she says, “Won’t you please come take off all your petals and just tell me, blue-eyed daisy, if he loves me not.” Adira’s voice is raw and yearnful as she seeks for “Magic from the flower.”

Track two, “Sky Is Falling” featuring Demetrius Rhymes, jumps right into a bouncy hip-hop vibe. Adira blends her long whimsical notes with an upbeat rap flow. The song fades out with a rock guitar solo that rings alongside the pounding drums.

Track three, “Respite,” and the title track, “Fool’s Croon,” are the EP’s pre-released singles. The vocals on “Respite” sit on a dreamy orchestra of strings and woodwinds. This tone carries over to “Fool’s Croon” featuring artist Manasseh, which opens with the subtle plucking of an acoustic guitar and “ahh”ing background vocals. Adira wonders, “Will I ever know the way you say good morning? / Will I ever know the softness of your smile?.” Until then, “I’ll just keep crooning like a fool.”

“Charity” featuring Isaiah Collier starts out just vocals and guitar. Towards the end, Adira says “Talk to them Isaiah,” and suddenly a jazzy saxophone solo echoes into the air. Adira’s vocal strength and clean vocal runs are spotlighted in this track. She speaks about independence and needing nothing from someone, “Even if you gave me just a penny for my every thought / Now I don’t need no charity with nothing for myself.”

The EP comes to a close with “Blue,” a track that listens like a live performance. Adira’s memories of a past lover are “Giving [her] blues all day long.” She tries to, “Ignore all the signs that keep pointing me right back to you / Time after time after time.” Adira melts away, losing her mind trying to recover from “All this dangerous loving.”