By Kierra Bannister

When The Roots - the multi-Grammy award-winning, Rolling Stone “Top 20 Greatest Live Acts in the World”-ranked and yes, Jimmy Fallon’s stellar Tonight Show house band - give you their seal of approval, you must be one to watch. 

Recently securing one of the most highly coveted industry co-signs, Mack Keane is rising to the occasion. The LA-native and R&B pop singer has been making music since he picked up piano at the age of four. The years he’s spent perfecting his craft are on display with the 23-year-old’s latest EP, “Dry Creek Rd”. It’s rare to hear a vocal tone so strong and musicality so tapped into for someone whose professional career is still in its early stages, but his talent should come as no surprise. Keane comes from a close-knit, musically-inclined family: his mother is an actress, singer and dancer; his father is a songwriter and producer and his grandfather was a musician and record executive. As if it all sounds too good to be true, the list goes on. Music is in Keane’s DNA.

Stevie Wonder, Steely Dan, Earth, Wind & Fire, Prince and D’Angelo are a few of Keane’s inspirations and he does these legends justice on the self-written and self-produced “Dry Creek Rd”. The four-track EP opens up with “One More Day Outside," a lo-fi, minimalist introduction. In it, there are subtle echoes of early morning city life and rhythmic strings. When the drums kick in, Keane finds his pocket with smooth, vibey raps. You’ll get into a groove with this one and it’s just Keane warming up.

“Outside” seamlessly flows into the melody of the EP’s standout track, “Unholy Matrimony.” From the very start, the bass riff is simple but striking, leaving listeners with a certified earworm for days, even weeks. Drawing comparisons to Anderson. Paak and “FutureSex/Lovesounds”-era Justin Timberlake, this cut is full of bounce and buzzes with liveliness, showing just how versatile Keane’s vocals are. Not only does he again assert himself as a rapper, but this is the first moment where Keane’s soulful singing is highlighted and his affinity for powerful voices becomes crystal clear. The instrumentation is clean and the track feels fully imagined. A new artist rarely ticks all the boxes, but Keane does that with what feels like a perfectly packaged hip-hop and R&B-inspired pop song - with a neatly tied bow and all.

“Hurt People” follows and it’s a raw ballad that you’ll have no choice but to repeat at least once or twice. Keane goes into full crooner mode, diving into a sexy, pensive falsetto-laden track about love lost, love “found” again, and ultimately, heartbreak. The chorus’ lyrics, “I never thought you’d leave me in the summer, I never thought you’d leave me for another” will have you reminiscing about your past romances or imagining one for the sake of connecting with Keane. This track will age well into winter as the days get colder, darker and we all need a little bit of something to feel.

Rounding out “Dry Creek Rd” is “Space + Time” which brightens the mood as listeners navigate back to their music apps after texting their exes post-“Hurt People.” Keane is back and he’s lighter, figuratively moving forward from the pain depicted in the preceding serenade. “Space” feels ethereal and dreamy as if a weight is lifted from Keane as he sings about “seeing faces in the rearview” and coming to terms with the fact that “the present don’t stay.” “Space + Time” employs a pitched-up vocal distortion, channeling youthful energy similar to Frank Ocean’s “Ivy” and a vocal layering treatment that lends itself well to a nostalgic sonic quality. Another standout piece, this song is a reminder to appreciate the past for its lessons, but to keep looking ahead.

“Dry Creek Rd”is the perfect representation of Keane’s growth and artistry. “R&B Pop” label aside, Keane has expertly crafted a genre-less sound that touches on soul, pop, funk, R&B, indie, hip-hop and so much more. “Dry Creek Rd” marks Keane’s fourth EP and there’s a lot more he has to offer. In a 2017 interview with PopDust magazine, Mack said, “...music is really the only thing I want to do. That's the one true thing in my life”, and for the sake of music fans, I’m glad that’s where he landed.

Kierra is a culture writer for La Tonique.