The sensitive Melbourne rapper finds new warmth in jazz and neo-soul. Melbourne rapper Miles Nautu has flirted with jazz influences in his music before, but on the front, the artist of First Nations and Fijian heritage leans into warm instrumental backing that includes supple bass and saxophone from multihyphenate Nikodimos. The short but potent “i am” opens the EP by offsetting those swirling jazz cues with quite agitated bars. That sets the table for the sharp shifts of the title track, a song about the misleading facades that people put on for others. It sees Nautu dramatically mix up his tone and delivery, swinging from conscious hip-hop vibes to something tougher and meaner. By contrast, “closer” channels sparkling neo-soul via intricate drumming and deeply felt vocal harmonies, while the closing “amen” lets Nautu vent about pressure and compromise in the music industry while addressing his father in autobiographical mode. The more personal he gets, the more at home he sounds.