Hellcat! - Swords & Flowers (EP)

Since the release of her fan-favorite single “Pink Leather Cut” back in March, Hellcat! had been working profusely to get her long-awaited project out and kept fans updated with announcements on her social media page that mentioned more would be revealed soon. Within the months, she would give us the project’s title, “Swords & Flowers,” including the cover art, to build anticipation for the release. She also included the detailed response that this project would be for her and not anyone else, which we knew immediately we would be hearing a more in-depth version of Hellcat! & thar made us even more hype. Not long after the post, she announced the project would surface sometime in June, the 9th to be exact, where all eyes were on the DSPs for that evening, so once it appeared, many fans had emerged in the days after with courageous support for the album’s direction. Hellcat! constructs such an incredible piece of thrilling wonderment with this album. From the sounds of her vocals to her production, which complimented her growth throughout, it became an instant favorite for me during a listening experience.

Her intro titled “Arrival” has no words, but the essence of the record feels like she’s entering a new journey. She embarks in the “Speedtrap,” the first record we hear from her with more of an upbeat presence. It’s sonically pleasing, where the production fits very nicely with her lyrical prowess. It’s the most potent form of Hellcat! we’ve heard thus far since it’s more combative & clear-pointed with the way she’s harnessing this rhyme scheme sharply. It’s also heard in her featured record “Concubines” with Karena SOL, which gives you a more broad listen that she’s reaching different platos in music. You could even argue the fact that it is a whole different Hellcat! we’re hearing just by this record alone. Her follow-up track, “Hywyg,” is a mixture of her newly found sound and one we’ve been familiar with being fans of her art. I love the push start of the R&B melody taking over the track and hearing Hellcat! shine bright in the release with soulful harmonies. Some of the same vibes get mimicked in “Sos” & “Shoreline Sunset,” where it erupts a flourished aesthetic that makes you want to shake and move your hips. These are joints that set the mood on fire in every atmosphere, and I love it for Hellcat! to step out of her familiar space to give us these records. It’s a stunning addition to Hellcat!’s catalog; she separated her previous work from this recent release which I think gave her the ability to be free in her craft and go off on a musical tangent, thus creating this amazing project.

During the project being release, Hellcat! had dropped the visual to her record “Hywyg” that has done well with views in the few days it’s been out, and she’s also planning to perform on Friday, that I’m hoping some of these ballads will be done in a live setting. I might be in attendance to see if it will, but I recommend you to make it out and see for yourself. In the meantime, check out Hellcat!’s latest project & video here while sharing them on all social media avenues.