Nineteen-year-old vocalist and producer William Bolton dips a toe in soul music, thankfully shedding his Times New Roman moniker just before the rest of the country does. Bolton saves ink on Let’s Stay Together with ultra simple lyrics wrapped in a bedroom pop aesthetic. There’s a charm to his cadence and understated croon, as he maintains the essence of his signature reggae flow amongst dusty horn samples.

The self-proclaimed playboy extraordinaire might find drinking age audiences with this soul-tinged pop, but the distillation came out a little weak. Mr. Bolton stumbled into a potentially great love song, landing somewhere between Mayer Hawthorne and Chris Cab. Sadly, when the drum machine finally dies into a breathy and labored a cappella outro, we’re left feeling cheap.  

But it’s pure fun… no regrets. A romp in youthful romance with big kicks. For now, we’ll cherish young love, and wait for Bolton’s inevitable artistic leap as he opens his blue eyes.

– Whitaker Elledge