Developing from serene introspection into soulfully charismatic soaring, “Grave” is a consuming single from Salt Lake City-based artist Toto Peña. The dynamic, evolving structural momentum complements themes of patience, surrender, and self-love — and feels embracing of change, in general, with an emphasis on personal growth. During the seven-month construction period, the artist transitioned from a coding job to bartending, and also constructed a new recording studio in Bluffdale, UT, accommodating toward collaboration and live recording sessions.
Gentle guitar movements and brassy lingering complements a lush vocal entrancement, soothing with its late-night atmospheric arsenal from the get-go. Chilly saxophones adorn a more elongated vocal presence past the first minute; the momentum drives into a soulfully gripping vocal escalation at mid-point, as solemn organs bolster the electrifying vocal ardency. “Grave” is a gripping success from Toto Peña, full of emotion and mood.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
