EP review: Ayla Brown's "Circles"

Ayla Brown has a lot to celebrate nowadays. Aside from the fact that she can call herself an ‘American Idol’ alum, a college hoops star and a senator’s daughter, she releases her third studio effort in the form of the EP ‘Circles.’

On ‘Circles,’ Brown experiments with more R&B/dance-themed sounds and ratchets up the power on her vocals. Kicking off the EP with the mid-tempo breakup tune “No More,” Brown allows her vocals to flow seamlessly amid the rhythmic arrangement. She then transitions into the upbeat dance anthem “Absolutely Everybody,” a cover of a track previously recorded by Australian artist Vanessa Amorosi. The theme of unity shines through on the lyrics (“I’m know different I am just the same / a player in the game / absolutely everybody”), which Brown sings with conviction.

The only original song on ‘Circles’ that is not co-written by Brown is “Pick It Up,” a catchy mid-paced ballad that finds her vocals set to a similar arrangement found in Rihanna’s “Take a Bow.” The song was co-written by label mate Will Makar and Australian artist Nathan Leigh Jones. The track has the most hit potential of any on the EP. But Brown really turns up the heat on “I’m So Happy,” a heavy R&B recording that relies on synths and just a hint of autotuning that give the track enough flavor to make it appeal to a wide audience.

Brown closes out the EP with the bubbly “Tonight,” a club banger that demonstrates she can pull off more current offerings. The song’s only weakness is it length, as it easily could have included an extra chorus at the end to top off at three minutes.

Regardless, Ayla Brown does not have to try hard to convince listeners of her talents, and ‘Circles’ will go a long way in helping her mature into a seasoned recording artist.

Ayla Brown's EP Circles is now available to purchase on iTunes.