Sasha Keable Releases The Highly Anticapted 'act right' Ep

(Credit: Jeff Hahn)

Tender things can hurt, as British / Colombian musician Sasha Keable finds out on her EP act right, her first project in four years. Taking the time to find her redefine her identity in music after feeling like she had to conform to industry standards following her earlier discovery. Her new project feels more authentic, real and raw.

The seven-track EP act right, follows up her last project Intermission released in 2021 and is richly soulful and, more importantly, direct, which is a key characteristic of Sasha Keable’s music. It has the essence of the timeless tenements of old school R&B: love, and what orbits it, heartbreak, yearning, wanting, anger, pride and scorn expressed in a modern way, which has Sasha as a contemporary leading voice in the genre.

The project was written during the aftermath of a deeply painful breakup, taking inspiration from the South Londoners’ own personal experiences. She expresses all the above, but slowly and painfully she moves through it, coming out better on the other side.

 “This project comes from a place of betrayal and heartbreak,” says Sasha. “I felt like if I didn’t make this music I might lose my mind. I made this project for myself, it’s exactly what I needed.”

On act right, we begin with the deep feeling and gospel influenced ‘FEEL SOMETHING’, which allows Sasha's vocals to wander around the percussion-based instrumentation, revelling in her own curiosity as she sings with a drawling tone – pulling us along for the ride as she looks for trouble, excitement and something to raise her blood pressure.

We are led into the self-titled ‘act right’, with subtle emotive piano chords and soft drums as Sasha powers through the circular nature of a messy and turbulent relationship that she is attempting to break out of. She sings, “All of your fuckeries, girl, we at war / Hate that you took my kindness for weakness / burnt every bridge that’s between us.”

And in response to the behaviour of that unfaithful former partner, Sasha warns of repercussions on ‘Can’t Stop’. Cheekily the second line of the track attitudes to getting involved with an former lovers friend but ultimately she laments about wanting to circle back to the ex, because of sexual desire, and nostalgic for the past – with the faint sound of a strummed guitar in the background overpowered by Sasha’s intense and visceral deliver and the insistent drums, with once in a while they leave space for a sax to breathe The track combines hurt, anger and confusion.

Featuring Jamaican-born US rapper Beam, who styles with auto-toned verses, ‘Work’ takes us to the rave, and widens the scope of the world that Sasha has crafted for us so far. Languid, purposeful, sexy and tempting, with a memorable and simplistic catchy chorus which relies on feeling rather than storyline. It shows Jasha’s versatility to make songs that people can dance to, as well as captivating narratives.

“Who gave you permission to be this perfect? / I think you should go ahead and thank your mama for me / Lord knows what I did to deserve this”, Sasha sings smoothly over a piano arrangement produced by Charlie Pitts on On ‘WHY’, where Sasha is heartfelt and earnest as she imagines the type of love she deserves, in contrast to what she has experienced so far in life.  

Reflecting on a past relationship, Leon Thomas features on ‘move it along’, which was co-written with Sasha.

The soulful track signals the ending of the toxic relationship that Sasha has been dealing with throughout the project; however, she acknowledges the battle it took and the growth she underwent to get to the stage where she can walk away.

There is no belittlement or playing it small. She recognises that sometimes the worst thing that you can do is love the wrong person, despite better judgment, because it’s hard to let go of what no longer serves you.

Elaborating on the track, Sasha says, “move it along feels like the perfect I told you so song. It feels like the perfect break-up song, it feels like the perfect “you knew you were right the whole time” song.

"It’s very much an “I knew it” song. I’m super grateful to have worked with Leon on this, Leon’s incredible, he’s such an innovator of music,  It was really exciting to be able to  work with one of the people I really look up to.”

Ending with 'heartbeat’, it is a moment of self-assuredness to conclude as Sasha confronts her ex for the last time before she closes the chapter forever. Not willing to entertain the nonsense, she pokes holes in the fabrications as she unburdens.

But noticeably there is no anger, but rather an accepting softness which hints at the emotional distance created, and as she mentioned the conversation is purely for her benefit, a type of closure as she moves on.

This summer alongside dropping her EP, she has performed at Meltdown curated by Little Simz, R&B festival Once Upon A Time In Joburg and SXSW and Glastonbury. And before that enjoyed a run of sold-out headline shows earlier this year at Manchester’s Deaf Institute and London’s KOKO.

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