Los Angeles-by-way-of-Houston artist Alaina Castillo got her start on YouTube, like many singer-songwriters before her, but with an important distinction: She introduced the breathy, pacifying intimacy of ASMR to her pop covers, emphasizing a pellucid vocal delivery. When the time came to record her own original material, Castillo played to her strengths—a single instrument, her salient voice loudest in the mix. On her second EP, The voicenotes, recorded in English and Spanish, Castillo explores a tradition set forth by ’90s R&B soul singers (“Just a Boy”) and balladeers (“Voicenote”), contemporized with modern images of infidelity through smartphone. Once, she aimed to lull her listeners to sleep. Now, it’s time for them to listen.
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