MUSIC: Dawn Richard – Baptize

[embed width="640" height="500"]https://soundcloud.com/fadetomind/dawn-richard-baptize[/embed]
Dawn Richard is doing a damn fine job at helping you forget she was ever on Making the Band and in Danity Kane. Since her first solo effort in 2012, Richard has been gracefully stripping away the prefab pop pretense of her early years and coming into her own as artist and singer.
Her latest EP Infrared, is the strongest statement yet. Richard’s sparkling vocals flutter over moody downtempo set-pieces courtesy of Brooklyn DJ/producer Kingdom, who layers on the alt-R&B, UK garage, and dubstep touches. “Baptize,” the strongest track, is a plea for forgiveness and spiritual (or is it sexual?) redemption, set off by razor-sharp hooks.