Emerging singer/songwriter/rapper Raff Peter caught our attention with his new EP First A Crush, Now A Memory. The EP is a 7 track piece that explores the aftermath of unrequited love. Here, Raff sings from the perspective of a man who fell in love with a woman but in the end, she didn’t share the same feelings he has for her and now he has to find his way back to inner peace.

The project starts with “Loves Comes And Go,” a love ballad built on a pop-house soundscape. Comprising rich solemn keys and plucky synths with smooth drum grooves, Raff Peter confesses his love for that special someone. Armed with his commanding vocal tone, alluring melodies and easy-to-follow lines like “‘Cause baby, I know love comes and go/You are the one and this is all I know/And I will never ever let you go/When I’m with you it’s love comes and go,” Peter pours his all on wax. As the title suggests, the track serves as the overarching feel of the EP as it traverses through an individual finding love only for it to slip away. This is followed by “Love At First Sight,” which starts with a live performance intro where Peter dedicates the song to the girl in the red dress. The track proceeds with a solemn piano arrangement underpinned by his emotional performance ripe with candid lyrics about falling in love at first sight. Next is “Paradise,” a cheerful contemporary pop tune that captures Peter’s euphoria as he basks in the warm embrace of his lover. Once again, he doesn’t shy from confessing his feelings with lines like “I see paradise, when I look into your eyes/I got butterflies, the moment I saw you , I saw through the crowd/Something about those eyes, I was drawn to.” The track also sees Peter fusing some rapping into his repertoire and he gives an interesting emotion-laden performance.

The EP continues with genre-bending tunes Peter utilizes a pop-leaning sound with a dash of hip-hop, R&B and experimental aesthetics. For example, “Like A Star,” is reminiscent of the mid-2010s pop tunes with a distinct twist. Peter pours adulations on his lover and expresses his wish for them to be together forever, however there is a storm brewing ahead. The track served as a high point in the relationship, and he felt as happy as possible. The EP takes a complete turn on “I Just Wanna Know,” a brooding and sad tune about the cracks between the lovers. Peter runs through the timeline and the trepidation of not having her in his life, but sadly the water has run dry and things will never be the same. The production on this track is cinematic and Peter also shows off his songwriting repertoire, employing a mix of singing and rapping to convey his thoughts.

The project closes out with the piano-driven ballad “Before It Ends” and “Black Heart- Remix.” The former is a call back to “Love At First Sight” but in a sombre and regretful tone where Peter pleads to his lover to return to him with no avail. “Black Heart- Remix” serves as the closer and comprises dark strings, soft drum grooves, and sad keys underpinned by Peter’s reflective and engaging songwriting and expressive melodic runs. That song is the point where Peter proceeds to let go of the past emotions and move forward.

Overall First A Crush, Now A Memory, is an interesting body of work that deeply explores the dissolution of two lovers as they part ways with one party pining for love more than the other. The production is crisp and polished and exudes a rich pop vibe but doesn’t break new ground. In a nutshell, it’s serviceable, well-crafted and gets the job done.