Taking bold musical steps after establishing one’s footing in the modern music business can always be daunting and risky, in the financial sense. However, creatively, it can be seen as artistically liberating, and that is what we got from singer/songwriter Riva Taylor’s newest EP entitled Keeping It Together. The 5-track body of work encapsulates her foray into Latin music alongside her Retro-fied Jazz/pop background. Already a bona fide vocal performer who in 2023 scored a hit in Latin America with “Cubano,” her bilingual collaboration with Mexican duo Los Rumberos, Taylor now takes it a step further on the new EP. With the guidance of Marcus Foster, the singer and her team fuse her velvety pop vocals with Latin Rhythmic sounds like bossa nova, cumbia and rumba to create a memorable and cohesive project that is filled with emotionally powerful moments that evoke nostalgia and warmth.

As she explains, “These songs are both intimate and expansive—they’re cinematic, but grounded in real emotion,” and from the jump, we do get the same feeling. The EP begins with the title track, “Keeping It Together,” a mellow, hypnotic ballad built on warm, jazzy textures and Latin percussion. The track is an uplifting piece that reminds us of the power of positivity. Armed with her sultry vocals delivered in whispered fashion, Taylor delivers the most convincing pep talk ever sung in Jazz/pop style with lines like “We will always have each other/we’ve got sunshine in the rain/Everything will be just fine/You just have to ride the waves of this life/Take the lows with the highs through the stormy weather” before sealing the deal on the chorus. This is followed by “Eyes Of A Stranger,” a solemn ballad that oozes blissful comfort with a dash of reflection. Over warm pads, minor chords with spaced rhythms, Taylor embodies the spirit of the perfect muse whose words are meant to offer relief. Her vocals cut through he mix like a hot knife through butter as she sings “I know you hide/I know you fight/Trying to survive/What’s the use, you’ve got nothing to lose/“ and rises to a crescendo on the chorus. So far, the first two tracks not only help set the tone but also show how Taylor continues to push her musical boundaries. The musical possibilities are endless, and she doesn’t pull back but rather delivers gold, as we get into the third track, “Hey Ho.” The record is a bouncy cinematic piece that takes audiences into the smoky Jazz ballrooms of yesteryears, complete with fur rocking ladies hobnobbing with cats in zoot suits while sipping fancy cocktails. From the groovy rhythms, jazzy horns and ballsy energy, Taylor completes the mission with an expressive vocal performance bolstered by a catchy melodic stamp that will linger on long after you stop the track.

The last two tracks on Keeping It Together, take the cake and seal the deal with their musical world expansion. The “Great Unknown” explores the euphoria of falling in love and letting go of one’s fears and trepidation to fully enjoy those blissful moments together. The production on here is hypnotic and perfect for the subject matter as it weaves bossa nova rhythms with layered jazz textures ripe with warm keys, soothing pads and soft horns, creating an inviting soundscape that is both alluring and dreamy. The project comes to an end with the closer, “Valentine Road,” a gloomy ballad that oozes bittersweet memories. Here, Taylor takes us down memory lane as she looks back on the past through rose-colored lenses as she sings “I keep looking out beyond the crowd./My thoughts and my demons are shapes in a cloud/Working the stages, turning the pages/always keep landing on Valentine Road.” This brings the project full circle and gives a well-crafted and seamless arrangement filled with emotional highs and lows and the in-betweens.

Keeping It Together, might be brief if we measure the length, but it makes up for it with strong tracks and several memorable moments.

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