Portland-based group Step Into The Kitchen has a new, genre-fusing EP, “Soups and Starters,” a must-listen-to. The EP’s tracks range all around the place: psychedelic, reggae, blues, and dream pop, all beautifully crafted to make this truly unique and dreamy EP. “Soups and Starters” has four tracks, which are all instrumental, with hushed background vocals. Although no lyrics, the EP takes the listener on a psychedelic head trip of a journey.
From the very opening track “Roll Out These Triangles,” Step Into The Kitchen’s unique sound is heard: a quirky and distinctive blend of blues, R&B, and a dreamy haze. Although the entire EP is under 12 minutes, the journey this EP takes the listener on is a force to be reckoned with.
The opening track, “Roll Out These Triangles,” is one of those songs that you can close your eyes and doze off to with its reggae-inspired melody and hushed hum along with vocals. The following track, “Thicken and Set,” features an ultra-catchy melody, and following “Thicken and Set” is “Pan and Griddle,” which is a full-blown reggae track featuring a silky-smooth saxophone. As every song passes, the hushed vocals get louder and more trippy. The last song on the track, “A Long Peak at the Script,” has an explosion of sounds and vocals, where the once hushed vocals are full-blown, giving a fantastic genre-fusing track.
The Portland-based band Step Into The Kitchen has one of the most unique and fun to listen to EPs of 2022. If you’re looking for a special EP that is proved to be like nothing one has ever heard before, please check out “Soups and Starters” from top to bottom; you won’t regret it!
Written by Melissa Cusano
