Passport Package

Photo Credit: Marco Ortiz

For an EP with only four songs, Myquale’s ‘Passport Package’ packs a real punch. It’s the kind of EP that refreshes you on a sweltering summer day; the songs manage to be each unique in their own style yet ultimately come together with a leisurely tone that pervades each beat.

Myquale, while a relative newcomer on the music scene (his Spotify and Soundcloud releases mainly stretch back to 2019), has the effortless sound of someone who knows what they’ve been doing for a long time. ‘BUTLER’ and ‘SNOOKY’ both have the floaty, vintage-esque beats that artists such as Loyle Carner and Tom Misch have released; the songs themselves bring together muted synth and organ sounds and slow, deliberate drums that echo the great artists of bygone eras in the 1990s and early 2000s. 

The EP switches tone with the other two pieces, ‘LAST NIGHT WE PARTED WAYS’ and ‘4AM IN KENYA’; while both are certainly moodier, Myquale’s smooth vocals tie the songs back to the rest of the EP in a sort of chill unity. ‘LAST NIGHT WE PARTED WAYS’ keeps the similar sounds of ‘BUTLER’ and ‘SNOOKY’ while adding in a stripped-down Dancehall beat, that I found myself listening to over and over again. Featured artist Will Akogu’s vocals shone through here, while Myquale himself raps over the beat like velvet. The song is also framed by a change in tempo, the latter half a slow, electronic mantra that’s reminiscent of an old Frank Ocean release (a song within a song!).

Tone-wise, the end of ‘LAST NIGHT WE PARTED WAYS’ seems to leave a question mark hanging in the air, which is swiftly answered by ‘4AM IN KENYA’, a fast, uptempo song that showcases Myquale’s range. While the other three songs keep a smooth, easygoing resonation, here Myquale maintains a burst of energy, throwing out a faster, more insistent tone. My only issue with it is that, at only 1:29, it’s the shortest song on the EP––and leaves the audience wanting more. Ultimately, though, Passport Package is a short but sweet showcase of fresh talent, and one that leaves me looking forward to Myquale’s next releases.