Sebu has made a name for himself as one half of the Los Angeles, USA-based duo Capital Cities. Now, he’s forging his own path with his debut solo album, Many Faces.

By Graeme Smith

Many Faces is a record that’s difficult to pigeon hole. At times, we get soulful dance pop in the vein of The Weeknd, such as in collaboration with Italian beat makers THCSRS, Edge of Nowhere, but elsewhere there are moments of reggae, electronica, and spiritualism.

The Worst That Could Happen to Us is a smouldering, cinematic highlight rich with philosophy while the delightfully satirical and amusing Pets (a cover of Porno for Pyros) channels the ’80s post-punk sound of Talking Heads and Peter Gabriel. Dear Friends, featuring Capital Cities trumpeter Spencer Ludwig, has a hypnotic groove, as does textured album lead single, Ultraviolet Violent. Sebu certainly has the kind of sound that would play well at a festival thanks to his danceable beats and natural imagery.

Just when you get the measure of the album, Sebu drops a surprise, stripped-back cover of Bowie’s Space Oddity. It’s a risky cover of a classic but he nails it. Poignantly the 1889 Steinway piano on which it was played in the recording was lost to the Atadena fire.

Many Faces is one of the freshest records I’ve heard for awhile. I love how Sebu isn’t afraid to mix it up genre-wise and take some big sonic swings. You can tell he knows his stuff, and put a lot of work into his debut. It’s out 23 May 2025 via Stereotrain.