“Aura” by Clara Kent – Review
Review by Dakota Arnold
Score: 9/10
Clara Kent, an up and coming neo-soul artist from Pittsburgh, dropped her debut album Aura in February of 2018. Aura is very engaging in terms of lyrics and melodies. Kent’s smooth vocal tones match up perfectly with the funky bass-lines and percussions featured in a majority of the album’s songs. The way that she sings against the instrumentals leave you feeling relaxed and self-assured, as Kent boasts about her own strengths and her experiences with past lovers, and reassures the listeners as they navigate the struggles of life. A notable example of this is the song “Frienemy” (ft. Bilal Abbey, Benji, and Livefromthecity). This song provides amazing, classic early-2000s R&B vibes, and is an all around relaxing song that features other local artists, who fit perfectly with Kent’s style. She also tackles her own struggles with overworking herself by trying to perfect her craft in the very engaging song “Clarity.” This is easily my favorite track on Aura because of her clever ad-libs, gentle cadence, and the funky instrumentals added to the soulful atmosphere of the entire song. Overall, much of the album follows the pattern of being fun, smooth, and groovy and because of this Kent is a local artist to watch. Aura doesn’t once lose it’s intentions or momentum, leaving me engaged in every single track. If you like soul and R&B, musicians like Erykah Badu and Jill Scott, or features from other local artists, I would definitely recommend checking out the very talented artist, Clara Kent.
You can follow Dakota on Twitter @ay__arnold. This review was edited by Stevie Priller of the WPTS Editorial Board.
