Berlin-born alternative RnB artist Kean Farrar has released his debut EP Suite Bittersweet. The EP follows in the wake of the success from the lead single Plz Don’t Go.
Suite Bittersweet opens with Get Enough with its jerky, off-kilter and groovy beat. The sensuality of the track is felt through the suggestive chorus: “In a rush, I can’t get enough. I wanna feel the rush. I can’t get enough, I wanna feel your touch. I can’t get enough, won’t you get in touch?” Farrar’s vocal is restrained and effortless and affords him an enviably uber cool vibe. The key flourishes when married with the downtempo beat really set the track alight.
Next, we move onto City Life which brings a bit more funk to proceedings with its electric guitar riffs and deep baseline. The chorus of “City life, take a ride baby you and I. Tell me lies. Say you’re mine” is sung in such breathy tones that no one could resist his offer.
Other Love is another steamy offering with the opening line of “Hey there shorty, five foot something with your heels on baby you were closer to my touch and I can’t get enough. Baby shower me with lust and tell me things you want to do to me.” Downtempo and pared back with simple acoustic guitar riffs to start, the track gains pace as electronic elements and a brooding beat add depth and interest.
Final track Plz Don’t Go is reminiscent of early noughties pop/RnB fusion with its Spanish-style guitars and addictively deep bassline. There is a light, innocent air to the track brought on by the Latin vibe which Farrar’s soft vocal manages to maintain despite singing about an affair: “I’m not him, he’s not me, but between these sheets I’ll be who you want me to be and that’s alright.” Farrar’s charm really shines through, lending the track and the EP as a whole a hedonistic ambience. The title track from the EP, Plz Don’t Go is a standout and transports the listener to a fantasy world.
When speaking of Suite Bittersweet Farrar said: “Suite Bittersweet is heavily inspired by the nightlife here in Berlin. I wanted to give these four songs their own space to live in, which is Suite Bittersweet. Hotel rooms have something bittersweet about them, they look nice, but are temporary. I feel like the EP’s themes, the temporal aspect of excitement and thrill pertaining to new relationships, translate well into a hotel room environment.”
Kean Farrar is a rising Persian- American artist who cites The Weeknd, Pharrell, Burial, Elliot Smith, Maxwell and James Taylor as musical inspirations. Farrar began learning the piano, violin and guitar from a young age and then uploaded demos to Soundcloud when he was a teenager. In 2018 he released his debut single Hearttrob which gained almost 1 million streams on Spotify. 22-year-old Farrar wrote and performed all the tracks on the EP, as well as producing it together with RIP Swirl.
Suite Bittersweet is available to stream now. Find out more about Kean Farrar here and have a listen to the full EP below.