On his sophomore EP Red Flags, Eric Ryan introduces us to a more assured version of himself, emerging from the ashes of the broken-hearted yet optimistic romantic we came to know on his 2021 debut project Dream State.
Although the Toronto R&B up-and-comer has traded in melancholy for sonic swagger in his new era of music, the velvet vocals and lyrical yearning that stamped his early catalogue still shine through on tracks like "Loose" and "Floored."
However, these days it seems as though Ryan has been jaded by past romances, knows it and doesn't care. On the title track, he croons, "We matching red flags, damn / Oh ain't that something / Too lazy to change right back or raise white flags," subsequently admitting, "None of them want to be hurt again / And we still fall / Crashing through it all."
Local guest stars Maria-Therese, Ley Vara and Kaiyel all make their mark throughout the five-track project — Kaiyel's delicate vocal performances on both "Floored" and the title track being particularly impressive — but it's the lone solo song "Yeah" that best showcases Ryan's growth, as he struts atop a bed of intricately layered background vocals and a swaggering bassline, his newfound sultry confidence on full display to usher in a new era of his sound.
