Savara exudes conviction. After the Grammy-winning Kenyan supergroup Sauti Sol took an indefinite hiatus to focus on individual projects, their drummer and singer, born Delvin Mudigi, has kept up with the relentless pace of touring and music releases that established the group as an unmistakable East African fixture. His 2022 debut solo album, Savage Level, rich with the anthemic Afropop-soul fusions that broke Sauti Sol to a continent-wide audience, explored a variation of emotional themes like vulnerability, romance and the power of conscious change while presenting his audience with a pop star whose zest for life remained undiminished. Since then, Savara has only grown more self-confident and assured in his approach. The eight songs on his second solo project, No Overthinking, are imbued with a sense of chromatic wonder and joy that could only have been products of the singer’s exhilarating adventures and personal circumstances. Spontaneous expression and living in the moment are the core of the album, as the lilting melodies and sticky-sweet lyrics of the opening track “Bossa Vibe” convey. South African duo Murumba Pitch add an extra layer of urgency to the lustrous “Wewe Ni Fire”. Across No Overthinking, the air is light and soothing with a production style inspired by soukous, amapiano and EDM influences. “Smile” is an urgent romantic plea that tinctures Savara’s tender pleas with words from English and Swahili—in keeping with time-honed Sauti Sol tradition. The balmy melodies, tender string arrangements, and midtempo instrumentation help construct a cohesive soundscape that allows the singer to glide smoothly across tracks. “Tequila” is a light-hearted ode to the dreamy pleasures of enjoying a drink with loved ones, while the infectiously catchy “3 Step” is a sun-drenched rhythm to get the raves going. Still, Savara’s emotional acuity means that he’s aware of the occasional downers that even the most vibrant go through, as the cathartic Harmonize-featuring “Life on the Road” proves.