Psycho is the debut EP from new, up-and-coming alternative pop artist Cabus. Hailing from Dallas, USA, Cabus has pitched his EP as a journey through his world, his heart and the real-world issues that surround him and his audience.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Chip Tompkins

Brimming with emotion, Psycho is at once relatable yet fresh. As an independent artist, Cabus is able to focus on the meaning rather than the marketability of his music, so isn’t afraid to take risks when it comes to composition and content. From opening track fangs to closer, and most recently released single poison, Cabus lets his originality shine through.

Through it all, though, there’s an enjoyable groove. Cabus takes modern pop sensibilities and runs with them. With the lively yet melancholic fangs setting the early pace, call is somewhere more down-tempo. The vocals take on a romantic and calming style, while the lyrics are image rich.

Borrowed time brings elements of pop rock, complete with rousing handclaps, hard-hitting bass beats and life-affirming electronic overtones that will get you moving. How does it feel? is funky and seductive, drawing on R&B elements as much as dream pop. Don’t need you is perhaps his most indefinable track. There’s an undercurrent of reggae alongside big hip-hop beats and laidback vocals. The jazzy brass solo is a highlight.

With poison, Cabus leaves it all out there and provides a lasting impression. A song written in the wake of the end of a long-term relationship, and the processing of the emotion that came with it that required therapy, he isn’t afraid to bear his heart and soul. He truly leaves the best to last.

Psycho is such an joyous debut. It brings something new and interesting to the pop, which is so often what the genre needs. I foresee great things in Cabus’s future as he continues to develop his sound and push the envelope. While we wait to see what he does next, you can check out the whole of the EP below.