ProbCause is an emcee from Chicago that has been releasing music since the mid ‘00s, but really hit his stride in the mid-2010s, with excellent albums like Waves and Drifters. His last release came in 2017, when he released an EP called Distractions. Now he’s teamed up with Austin producer/guitarist Cloudchord for a new EP, Moonflower.

Going into this EP, I was very familiar with ProbCause, but had never heard Cloudchord before, so I didn’t know exactly what to expect. Fortunately, my mind was set at ease almost immediately after I pressed play, because not only are these just some great chilled out tracks, but Cloudchord has geat chemistry with ProbCause as well. The tracks have just enough bounce and bass to them to keep things moving, but it’s really the light and breezy melodic elements, namely Cloudchord’s guitar and the Soul Food Horns that give the EP it’s really soulful feeling. Now, ProbCause has dabbled in this sound here and there over the years, but this is the first time that he’s really just staying here for four songs and not going anywhere else. The good news is that ProbCause is a really talented and versatile emcee, and he’s able to dance around the beats and find some really intriguing rhythmic patterns to his flow while also keeping his delivery smooth and within the overall sound of the EP. As a bonus, in working with Cloudchord in this style of music, it also means that ProbCause was encouraged to write some of his most intimate and joyful lyrics to date.

If you’re looking for a ray of sunshine in 2020, ProbCause and Cloudchordhave you covered with Moonflower. It’s soulful, breezy, and funky, with top notch musicianship and lyricism and just fantastic chemistry. Hopefully they’ll work together again, because four songs is not enough.