Track Review: California // Avé Pes
Drawing together elements of pop, soul and R&B, Avé Pes is a genre-defying artist not to be pigeon-holed. Inspired by, as stated by Avé, “…absolutely everything I’ve ever heard”, it is safe to say that this singer-songwriter is enthusiastic about life and music. Moving from playing in bands to a solo project, the Australia-based musician brings a contemporary pop edge to some soulful sounds in his material. The latest addition to his growing discography is the single ‘California’.
Following a couple of years’ hiatus from music, Avé Pes blasted back onto the scene with his tracks ‘Cheap’ and ‘Fed Up’ in 2021 – ‘California’ is his first offering in 2022. Moving from the synth-driven commercial pop style, ‘California’ embraces more old-school soul sounds in its arrangement. Avé has been compared to Charlie Puth and I can certainly see the similarity; however, ‘California’ brings a more distinctive toe-tapping sensuality as compared to the popular Puth.
Laidback and soothing, but with an upbeat sound that has you bopping your head, ‘California’ finds the line between smooth and sexy. A harmonic combination of drums, guitars and Avé’s dulcet tones adds a jazzy vibe that is completely hypnotic. The rhythmic beat of ‘California’ is the comfortable hug that a dear friend will give you, but the kaleidoscopic instrumentation spins you about in a swirl of sound.
Recorded with producers Max and Scott Sheppard, ‘California’ is one of those songs that fits perfectly on a road trip playlist. In fact, I could easily see it being performed on the main stage at one of those summer music festivals – it is a summer banger, there’s no doubt about it. The audience’s bodies sway as one and everyone sings along to the soul-stirring single. As Avé Pes explained, “…’California’ always had a personality” and we love the personality it has.