Album Review: Poems of the past by Powfu

Isaiah Faber, known professionally as Powfu, is a Canadian singer-songwriter, rapper and musician. Powfu is one the artist that has orchestrated the move from a bedroom producer, making Lo-Fi beats, to a popular social media figure in a relatively quick time. Poems of the past sounds like title that you might expect from a veteran artist but at the age of 21 Faber has established himself to title his major label debut in such a grand manner. Poems of the past taps into the zeitgeist in a way expected of a combination of an artist in his early 20s and therefore it’s appealing to the audience it’s focused on. Through this album Isaiah takes you deep into his past and gives you a overview of his childhood, mental health and his musical influences throughout the years. 

Here’s a track wise breakdown of this EP

• death bed (coffee for your head): the beabadoobee assisted song put Powfu on the map. It stayed put in the UK Singles Chart’s Top 10 for 13 weeks and morphed into a streaming behemoth. This song is a commentary on a breakup or a death of a relationship. The song has a melancholic feel to it and the gloomy production provides a perfect environment for Powfu to flow on the beat effortlessly.

• i’m used to it: a strong ‘Blink 182’ influence can be sensed on this cut. This song is an ode to coming out stronger out of troubles and problems. Powfu talks about being bullied, have no chance of starting a romance with his crush and starting on a journey in his music career. Considering his fan base this song can help a lot of people who might be facing the similar problems.

• ill come back to you: Powfu, Sarcastic Sounds & Rxseboy have a very similar style  and they blend well while complimenting  each other’s style. The song is about infatuation and starting a life after your graduation. The highlight on this cut, for me, is the euphoria created by the humming in the background by sarcastic sounds.

• a world of chaos: the song is one of the most personal moments on this EP and has Powfu talking about the memories of his parents fighting throughout his childhood, having an on and off relationship. The song is also the most diverse track instrumentally with an acoustic guitar and a violin over simple lo-fi drums.

• popular girl, typical boy: the songs starts of with a weird Ukulele sound which mixes well when the song starts. The song is about being out of the typical crowd and having your own identity. The featured artist ‘Sleep.Ing‘ is Isaiah’s sister and she delivers one of the best features on this whole Ep.

By no means, is poems of the past a perfect body of work. It is the sonic portrait of an artist sharing his childhood past and trying to make sense of the stories in heads, blemishes and all. However, in sharing every ounce of himself, what Powfu does deliver with his debut EP is a deeply human one sure to strike a chord. You can hope that he delivers more nuanced projects in the future as the start looks promising. I’d give this EP a 6/10.