Yusaf Azak – Prizefighter EP

Having previously released an album with locally respected Edinburgh based label Song, by Toad, Yusaf Azak has chosen to release this EP on his lonesome through his bandcamp page. Prizefighter is infused with the lush lo-fi string arrangements, multitracked acoustic guitars, and doubled vocals of his previous releases. Azak’s bluesy guitar playing and busy piano parts combine with his straining vocal melodies to create songs full of endearing and nostalgic inflections.  

Perhaps the decision to release this one on his own has something to do with the nature of the EP, the songs appear a little more personal and the production a little more stripped back with less layered tracks and loops. Prizefighter sounds like an old cassette you might find in a shoebox under your old single bed at your parents’ house, full of fondly half-remembered songs. Charming, compulsive, and won’t cost you a penny. Definitely worth downloading.