marta poti released her debut EP “Past Futures” last year, and we are late getting around to it. Still, there is no deadline for finding an artist worth listening to. I only discovered her recently, and after spending time with these 4 songs, I wanted to give the EP some attention. She has a lovely voice, good melodies and a clear idea of what a song needs.
“Imagined Limitations” opens the EP with a strong hook and a confident vocal performance. The instruments change enough to keep things interesting, but the song never gets crowded. I liked her voice here, especially how it sits with the melody. It is a good first track and it made me curious about what was coming next.
“Cat Fight” has a different kind of energy. The sound design is impressive, the chorus sticks, and the production gives each part room to do its job. It is not messy or packed with too many ideas, which is something we appreciated. The vocals are catchy and the lyrics and melody are easy to take in. There is also a point behind the song. Poti described it as being about standing up to authority and refusing to hide behind a false hierarchy. That gives the playful guitars a little more bite.
Then “Don’t Fall Asleep” slows things down. It is a short track, just over a minute, but it’s a beautiful experience from start to finish. The gentle melody and simple instrumental leave good space for her voice. The writing is lovely and her delivery is gentle and holds attention. She has a charming voice that suits this quieter song just as well as the more upbeat moments. The production is solid with good mixing and mastering.
The title track closes the EP and it is the song we kept returning to. The beat is great, the instrumental is well put together, and Poti’s voice carries a lot of emotion. The song looks back at the difficult parts of a relationship, but the arrangement leaves space for the listener to sit with it. When it ends, starting the EP again was like a good idea.
Poti wrote these songs during a confusing period of change, trying to understand what was happening in her life. You can hear that personal search across the EP. We discovered her recently but her EP has already given us a reason to keep up with her next releases. There is a lot to like here and we hope more people find their way to this record.
