Music Review // Paitra "A Universal Feeling"

"A Universal Feeling" really takes the listener through a different vibe with each song, though those undertones of this being country/folk remain throughout the EP.   The first song, "Love Calls", is dreamy group vocals and it ends in under a minute.  This sets the tone for the more upbeat song "I'm Your Answer" which also has these bells and even during the chorus can make me think of the holidays, as if this is a Christmas themed song (though I'm pretty sure it's not).

As we go into "Human Bottle" we have some nice percussion.  This also takes us the most strongly into that country/folk feeling and I'm reminded at times during this song of Dolly Parton.  This is also a good song lyrically about not keeping your emotions all trapped inside because there are lyrics which say: "Do you know that you're a human bottle / and if you fill up too much you'll go and shatter".

While we've been mostly strings thus far, "Too Stuck" comes in with this sax that reminds me of something out of that "Pretty In Pink" era.  Synths can come through at the end as well and this song just takes me back in time.  Winding acoustics take us into "For the First Time in a While", which ends on a harmonica solo.   By the end we get to darker acoustics which make me think of both Fleetwood Mac and Mountain Movers, as we can also take this wild ride through space.

What I like most about this EP is that every song has its own distinct qualities, yet at the same time they're all brought together, connected by one common thread.  The songs aren't always upbeat, but they always seem optimistic, with lyrics such as: "This new life takes getting used to / But I'm finally feeling okay".  This might just be the soundtrack you need to hear if you're in that point of you're life where you're getting better.