I’m not usually a fan of solo female pop acts—that might just be the hipster in me, but something about the pentatonic runs that tend to be found all over R&B and pop vocals get bland and boring. Come on, there are eight notes in a scale, how hard is it to use them?

And that’s exactly what I thought when I first heard Alessia Cara’s vocals. Perhaps I’m a music purist, perhaps I’m expecting too much out of an 18-year-old, but I didn’t find anything particularly special in Cara’s voice. She sounds like a young Rihanna, in a way, or Nina Simone, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. All three of these women are very talented, and I’m hardly one to point fingers when I can’t execute vocals in the way that they can.

“Four Pink Walls” is a five-track EP meant to be a precursor to “Know it All,” the full-length album slated for release later this year. I have to say, while I wasn’t the biggest fan of the vocals, I’m excited for this new album, and I know that I’ll be on the look-out for what comes next. Why? That lies in the music.

There was something that kept me listening to the music, however. Something nostalgic in the beats, with record scratches that harken back to 90s hip-hop, and heavily synthesized bass lines, much like pop of the 80s. The autotune is evident in the super-production of the music, and while that would usually be a strike against the artist, it somehow fits into the smooth blend of the tracks on the EP.

“Outlaws,” especially, became one of my favorites. The laid-back tone of the song, with a snare-heavy groove sitting right in the pocket—the sweet spot of the beat—and a bari saxophone making interjections every so often was reminiscent of 50s doo-wop. I half expected there to be a choir of “oohs” and “aahs” as I came to the end of the song.

The other song I feel the need to point out is “Here,” a party song about someone who isn’t enjoying the party culture. With the knowledge that Cara at least partially writes her songs, I couldn’t help but feel the genuine sentiment behind the lyrics. It was a refreshing change from most songs I hear on the radio nowadays, with a pumping bass-line and a singer who wants nothing more than to rage all night. This song was easygoing, all about a protagonist who wanted nothing more than to go home.

Overall, I liked “Four Pink Walls.” I wasn’t beyond amazed or stunned, but I’ll openly say that it’s getting harder and harder for me to find something that amazing and stunning within a pop album. Despite that, I can whole-heartedly say that any pop music fan who isn’t listening to Alessia Cara should jump on that, and soon—you’ll be glad that you did.