Cautious Clay, alternatively known as Joshua Karpeh, has unveiled “Yesterday’s Price,” the third preview of his upcoming album, KARPEH.
Clay co-wrote the wiry fusion of futuristic jazz with alto saxophonist Immanuel Wilkins and trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire. Both of the latter artists also perform on the track which Clay produced.
Regarding his new single, Clay shares, “‘Yesterday’s Price’ is probably the heaviest song on the album. It’s about speaking one’s truth and expressing it in the most intimate and rawest form.”
As noted above, “Yesterday’s Price” is the third offering from KARPEH, set to release Aug. 18 via Blue Note Records. It’s his first project release for the label, for which he inked in May.
With that new label announcement, Clay shared “Ohio,” the lead single from KARPEH. He followed weeks later with the song “Another Half” featuring guitarist Julian Lage.
Discussing his forthcoming album, Clay said, “I wanted it to be musical for the sake of telling a story. Throughout this album, I am equating my life’s journey to an amalgamation of my family’s past life experiences, an exploration of my present, and how those pieces will influence by future.”
According to press materials, KARPEH breaks into three parts: “The Past Explained,” “The Honeymoon of Exploration,” and “A Bitter & Sweet Solitude.”
Each section is sequenced to include “interludes throughout containing audio recordings of his relatives recounting bits of family history.”
KARPEH marks Clay’s first collection of songs since last year’s EP, Thin Ice on the Cake. His debut album, Deadpan Love, was released in 2021.
Listen to Cautious Clay’s new song “Yesterday’s Price” below.