Karina Pasian is no longer 16 at war, in fact she’s 20 years old now, sporting a chic blonde ‘do and seemingly wages a war on love in her latest release, Trips To Venus, a six-track EP released earlier this month. Check out our review below… After high school and vastly approaching adulthood, a young heart can either be engulfed by the thought of love—having never truly experienced it or it can be resentful at love’s ability to tarnish, yet and still in awe of its marvel. On Trips To Venus, it’s the latter that stimulates Pasian’s bellows. From the gate, Pasian embarks on a cosmic journey and controls the turbulence with snares and lucid distortion on “Dead End”. It’s hypnotic, mellow and subsequently just a few octaves from The Weeknd comparisons. If all roads lead to this track, then I’m okay. “Just Another Melody” – Anguish sets in as Pasian recounts a fading love…”we were a masterpiece, now we’re just another melody”. The track is laced with synth drums and eerie, entrancing elements—the kind of song she sings in a studio apartment on a Saturday, with the window cracked open…while packing the rest of his things. Lest we not forget, Karina is a trained pianist–opening the curtains on “Last To Know” with a sleek glissando to match her warm harmonies. It’s closest to the type of sound fans are accustomed to hearing from the chanteuse. On “When You’re In Love”, the piano is contrastingly darker, but confirms the seriousness in her vocals as she embraces love in its entirety. “Perfectly Different” is soused and glistens in modern R&B, yet meddles in Jazz interpretations and styling with the rich piano and Pasian’s melismatic serenading. It’s a song of arrogance, compassion and contentment, felt when one has met their soulmate. The songbird wraps up the EP with a sultry rendition of Nat King Cole’s 1944 Christmas classic, “The Christmas Song”. As it often happens, Pasian doesn’t over perform the melody—only refining the classic with her sweet and inviting vocals. What better gift than to experience her gift of song? Ultimately, the EP introduces fans to the more complex and mature artist Karina Pasian has become. It outlines her passionate delivery and reveals to listeners the wonders that growth can have on an already revered voice.