Detroit born, raised, and currently living in Las Vegas, Karlos Farrar is a protégé of legendary singer Ginuwine. The young multi-talented singer, songwriter and choreographer, writes and produces most of his own material. Karlos has opened for superstar acts such as Ginuwine, Tank, Mario, Trey Songz, Jon B, Eric Bellinger, Marques Houston, and more. His debut smash single “Ice Kream Man” is available via all online outlets, his official “Ice Kream Man Tour”, featuring Ginuwine, has blazed cities around the US, and now comes the album ‘A Karlos Farrar Story’, releasing September 1, 2017 exclusively on Amazon.
Most contemporary musical artists will do damn near anything to chase – and then maintain – relevance. In an industry of declining record sales and infinite musical choices a click away, artists are prone to hawk their product and brand incessantly across social media, corporate promotions, and ad campaigns. The fear of overexposure has been replaced by the fear of being forgotten entirely, and artists have reacted by shoving themselves in their audience’s face to the point of exasperation and passivity.
It’s safe to say that Karlos Farrar is not like most artists today. In the time preceding the release of his new album, Karlos has been working his craft and building his catalog of songs, as well as his agenda of live performances instead of shoving hype down our throats. This unorthodox rollout of ‘A Karlos Farrar Story’ is one of the reasons why it will surprise you as it twists and subverts itself into an insular R&B / Pop masterpiece.
Right from track one, “K.R.E.a.M” Karlos sends an immediate message that the album was made on his own terms, and he is not beholden artistically to anything other than his own vision. On the cheeky “Ice Kream Man” Karlos’ voice, is as stunning and versatile as it has ever been, taking center stage throughout, and his lyrics cut through the rhythmic soundscape with breathtaking emotional precision. And it gets even better on “Worth It”, Karlos stretching and bending his range to capture the essence of the song.
An album of 13 songs, this is full of mostly good ideas with respect to production, pulling from a spectrum of popular, modern and classic influences. Meandering, contemplative and introverted, in spots like “Only One”, “Message” and “Nothing Last Forever”, and then swashbuckling and intense on “Love You Down”, “Ain’t No Lady” and “Quicksand”, with the kind of shiny hooks and banging beats associated with blockbuster, crossover pop.
‘A Karlos Farrar Story’ makes for sensationally beautiful background music when turned down, but can morph into entirely different musical framework when you concentrate on bringing it into the foreground. Karlos’ languid, seductive singing and the luxurious breadth of his harmonic gifts is deeply felt, and at times the intensity of emotion bursts through with a kind of transcendence that will make you site up and listen.
Karlos Farrar is steadily working towards being a significant figure in the new R&B and pop hierarchy, pushing quietly from the inside rather than jumping up and down, and frantically waving his arms, in the front. Karlos Farrar is represented by Undertaker Entertainment & The G Xperience
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