8/10

Over these last few years, Chicago's adan diaz has established himself as one of the more prolific and dynamic names on the rise. Spending much of his teenage years developing this wildly explosive sound across a wave of EP and single releases, he has been quick to cement a fresh and innovative direction in which to explore. And with the artist just turning 20, he is now looking to bridge the gap between teenage angst and young adult introspection on his latest EP 'ah-dawn', a collection that sees him returning to those adventures ideals once again.

As an artist that looks to add an alternative edge to largely commercially-angled songwriting, 'ah-dawn' instantly marks itself as one of his more ambitious offerings to date. Taking the mainstream pop cues of many contemporary talents and merging it with this progressive approach to production across all seven tracks, he returns to the fold with a truly enjoyable and absorbing listen throughout. Coming across as a Beck-esque individual for a Gen Z audience, adan diaz is looking to leave his adolescent self behind in pursuit of something far more matured and inventive here.

It may have been a busy time for him these last few years, but 'ah-dawn' shows that he is still very much of top of his creative game right now. Oozing with such a fresh and captivating approach to his aesthetic at every turn, he feels like a name we are going to be hearing a lot more about in the years ahead as well.