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Photo: Harvy Moon

If it’s R&B-infused indie you want, Moise has got just what you need. The Minneapolis native just released seven tracks of soulful introspection wrapped up in a full-length project titled We Survived the Storm, Vol. 1. The result of a pandemic’s worth of labor, the project will make you want to feel something.

We Survived the Storm, Vol. 1 toes a delicate line between capturing a throwback sound while remaining current in both its vibe and subject matter. Moise is known for combining influences as far-ranging as '90s Brit-rock to early '00s R&B. He intuitively channels what we’ve all felt before when it comes to break-ups, awkwardly not fitting in, trying to open up, and grappling with the massive needs for social change. And, he does all of this skillfully, never in a way that feels like he’s reaching. For a case in point, I present what I believe is the album’s stand-out track, “Burn You Out,” although “Cellphone Receiver” is a close second.  

Everything about Moise’s art — the videos, the music, the photography — is considered. “It’s totally home-brewed,” says Moise, who oversaw every element of the album — from songwriting to mixing. 

It’s also inescapably intertwined with Moises’s experiences as the child of Rwandan immigrants, who grew up in America’s midwest. “I live five blocks from where George Floyd was murdered,” he shares. “I could not escape that. I did not want to escape that. I dropped everything I was doing.”

Much of the music was written in the wake of the Black Lives Matter protests and reflects the hope Moise has that we can collectively build a better world. Even the album title itself is aspirational. “I thought, ‘It will be better in a year when I put this record out…’ some would say we’re still in the wake of the storm," says Moise. "But, I want people to have a moment of saying 'You’re here right now, you’ve gone through a lot in this world in the last two or three years, enjoy the moment with this record.'"

Close your eyes. Get in a vibe. Whatever you have to do to savor the sweetness and soul of these tracks that stand as a tribute to survival while doubling as a way to get you through the storm. 

Listen to We Survived the Storm.