Vince Anthony explores fuzzy childhood memories but transcends the personal on Black Child: A Song Cycle

In the Soundcloud description for his new EP, Vince Anthony instructs that you should “listen on repeat for full experience.” At 17 minutes long, the EP is short enough that you can easily do just that, but that’s not only reason to keep pressing the play button. The Philly-based singer-songwriter is steadily carving out his place in the scene with his eclectic blend of soul-meets-hip-hop; after releasing his first EP back in 2012, he’s built a growing catalogue releases and singles on Bandcamp and Soundcloud. Anthony just released his latest project, a five-track concept EP called Black Child: A Song Cycle, which was released this fall by The MusiQ Department.

Over the course of the EP, Anthony takes an illustrative look at his own childhood, as well as the general experience of growing up black, all with the perspective that comes with time and growth. It’s no surprise that Anthony chooses to look back on his youth — as he writes in his Bandcamp bio, it was being in a children’s chorus as a kid that got him into music in the first place. But he does it with a balance that stays true to his own experience while also transcending the personal; his songs dwell in his own fuzzy childhood memories, like the scent of a specific Bath & Body Works lotion, but also carry the feeling that he’s reaching out to listeners and hoping that someone can relate.

Listen to Black Child: A Song Cycle below.