8/10

Ian Ewing has always had a knack for stitching together grooves that feel both laid-back and purposeful, but his new EP 'In The Sky' carries a deeper sense of perspective. Written after becoming a father, it’s a collection that leans into the permanence of the sky as a metaphor for stability while life below shifts, changes, and grows more complex. Across six tracks, Ewing blends chillhop textures, jazz flourishes, and hip-hop rhythms into a body of work that feels meditative yet full of motion.

The opener 'Crescent Bay' sets the tone with mellow drums and luminous chords that unfurl like a slow tide. It’s the kind of track that feels incomplete without someone freestyling over it, yet it stands on its own as an invitation into Ewing’s : warm, unhurried, and quietly joyful headspace. While the title-track brings a heavier emotional weight, layering electronic washes and brooding beats that capture the feeling of gazing upward in search of grounding.

'Youth' finds the producer in lockstep with long-time collaborator Philanthrope, their chemistry yielding an instrumental that feels nostalgic without being saccharine, the kind of tune that recalls the comfort of old photographs. Later, 'Cirrus' drapes Ewing’s production in smoky brass and jazzy inflections, a reminder of how his music often blurs the line between the beat scene and late-night improv sessions.

But what makes 'In The Sky' resonate most is its underlying patience. Ian Ewing crafts songs that feel cyclical, rooted in repetition and subtle variation, mirroring the constancy of the sky above us all. For fans of chillhop, lo-fi, and jazz-leaning beat music, 'In The Sky' is a reminder that even in a world of rapid change, some things like groove, melody, and the sky itself remain steady.