“If Light Escapes,” the debut single from singer-producer duo April + VISTA, shines without the gaudiness of most modern chart-topping R&B. Singer April George, a 24-year-old Silver Spring resident, channels neo-soul that falls somewhere between Erykah Badu and Macy Gray at her mellowest. Producer Matt Thompson, who’s 22 and lives in Fort Washington, constructs an atmospheric instrumental with punctuative clangs and clatters. It’s a simple but potent formula.
The collaborative effort, which George says intends to “depict the falling sensation of losing love,” serves as an alluring introduction to the duo whose EP, Lanterns, comes out March 31.