Isaiah Theo takes us through his journey on debut project Told EP.

The South London native dropped Told EP seemingly out of the blue, that is unless you caught the drop of his lead single from the project ‘Rise’. This single on its own felt quite out of place upon initial release but now that we have the project it all makes sense now. Isaiah Theo is a newcomer to the music scene but you can see that he has studied the game and his craft throughout the Told EP. If I had to put a label on who he sounds similar to, it would be someone like Baseman. But even that comparison doesn’t do him justice he is similar but offers something different to the ‘New Waving’ lead vocalist.

Told EP is a journey, and not just in the musical sense. It takes us through Isaiah’s journey literally with being involved in music as well as some of the more personal aspects of his life. He doesn’t have any credited features but he does have an uncredited skit provided by him and his mum, and I’m all for that kind of familial support. He also draws on a number of producers despite the project only being 5 tracks long. Despite bringing in more than 5 producers for these 5 tracks the combination has been expertly managed to make the project feel complete and as if all the producers were working from the same script.

Mixing R&B and Rap, you would assume what you would get would be the Drake like sound that dominates our airwaves. Isaiah, however, curates a sound that feels so very clearly British and distinct that it’s very difficult to put it in a box. Despite the lack of a term for what it is that his sound is, the Told EP feels not only cohesive but satisfying. It builds towards a crescendo and that arrives on ‘Rise’ in a positive and forward facing track, and then as the track closes so does the project.

The standout track of the project for me was ‘Alone In The Dark’ which is a two-part track, but it is the first part that immediately draws you into Isaiah’s soundscape. To me, the sound displayed on this track is where he is at his best because it is a perfectly balanced blend of singing and rapping over a production that complements both vocal styles. Then after the aforementioned skit with his mum, the track moves into a much more uptempo funk inspired closing section with fast-paced rhymes to match the beat. All in all, the track is a great example of his diversity as well as a glimpse into what he can do with that versatility.

As a debut project Told EP offers an interesting approach, and one that I can appreciate, of really introducing the artist both musically and to some extent personally as well. It is a well put together project and a great show of artistry – especially for a first project. I look forward to seeing what we will get from Isaiah in the future, and if this is anything to go by you will be seeing more from him here on GUAP.