Oh these recorded ICCA setlists are something not to be missed, but they are also a double-edged sword. Much like the Broadway Theatre archives as the official record and the countless number of bootlegs (slime tutorials a few years ago, I'm not sure what they are called now), it is such a godsend to have these remnants and remembrances of shows that you've experienced (or not as the case may be for most live shows). You as an audience member can now cherish these forever-ish — this junior and a little more pristine version of a yearbook album. This is going to age me even more, but those late '90s and early aughts shows were generally audio recordings only. Not that I know anyone who did it, but like a drug, some of us dealt these tapes(!) and CDs like golden currency. But that's the rub; those were two-dimensional since they were missing the visual element that made the performances so extra special. And that's what has befallen the latest recording by Cadenza, Overflow. This is a more than serviceable replication of their 3rd place performance, but even though it's the exact same recording it lacks the spark that made their live set so memorable and moving.

My Love is a Hurricane is the one exception to this predicament. From Spotify to YouTube, I feel like I am having the same experience listening to the track. It opens with such a strong braggadocio that I am immediately taken aback and submissively enthralled at the same time. It sounds like it was plucked right out of the cut tracks for Katherine Howard in Six: The Musical. It's fantastic, spunky, girlie-pop fun. I can see Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss just going "yes yes yes!!!" during one of their writing sessions, arguing that the song is the perfect antecedent to All I Wanna Do, but then realizing that it goes into a new show. Sophia Rios is ridiculously good; I could listen to her often. She's all intrigue, sass, and panache. She makes the song her own and forces it on the world and we are the better for it.

That awe and amazement diminishes slightly with the following two tracks, Vertigo and Light of a Clear Blue Morning. On their own both of them are solid songs with pleasant performances by the group. But there is definitely a drastic energy departure from the opener to where the closer almost becomes this treacly lullaby. It's slightly confusing as it goes against the grain of most ICCA set sequencing. No song suffers as drastically from the no visual aspect as does Vertigo. On video, it is mesmerizing. There are oceans of movement and sound that I can see replicated in the body as much as hear it replicated in the notes and rhythms. This overflow sinks you into the undertow.

What is super-duper fantastic is the arranging skills showcased on the three songs offered here. Crystal Huang, Sabine Salnave, Callie Rosenzweig respectively are fantastic at their jobs. I can't say enough about Huang's opener. From a construction standpoint, it is near perfection — the framework shines through the added production to make this most majestic little love nugget. But I really have to call out Salnave. Her original song Vertigo fits seamlessly into the mix with a style that is one part Enya, one part Sarah McLachlan, and one part Ingrid Michaelson. It is a brave solo-less inclusion in a competition and a special sonic boon on the EP. As a single and knowing that it is a scholastic original, it definitely deserves a "5", but in context here its effect is dampened. Lastly, Rosenzweig has a deft touch to this light and delicate take on the Dolly Parton song. I love the hope that is at the heart of the track as it radiates the emotions of the singers. And the deft intermingling of the three songs into each other is the output of an excellent creative team working together.

Overflow is an inspirational celebration in the hands of Cadenza, so while all of it isn't mind-blowing it is a definite must listen.

Make sure you're emotionally sturdy before you hit play on Cadenza's new album, my goodness. The tightly thematic EP Overflow uses weather and water to stir up big feelings through creative arrangements and reflective storytelling. This is intellectual, alluring a cappella.

Overflow starts and ends with covers, which are used as starting points, not blueprints from the original artists to follow. For My Love is a Hurricane (David Rameriz), we get a slick, fresh intro that ties into the Overflow name. The arrangement commands your attention, adding many new elements to ensure it's novel and non-transcriptive. The group sings with admittance, "All I know is to overflow". Light of a Clear Blue Morning picks that thought back up with "What if all I know … is to overflow?" When Dolly Parton recorded this hit, she ended with a jamboree style fade-out to keep the hips shaking. Cadenza's take continues to use lyrics to harken back across the release, adding a much different triumphant feel before ending with a near chant-like delivery of "sunrise … sunrise".

Lucky us: an original, Vertigo, provides the center for Overflow, written and arranged by Sabine Salnave, who also takes on the drumming. Salnave and her group set up beautiful and intentionally soft, reflective deliveries against roars of pleading desperation. It's lovely conceptually and in performance, especially as the ensemble grows in strength to drive to the end.

My slight hesitation comes from the engineering, which is sometimes quite flashy and loud, making it harder to enjoy the finely pointed intricacies of the composition for My Love is a Hurricane. This is obviously subjective, and it's still a terrific recording top to bottom.

If you haven't heard it yet, you're in for a big treat with Overflow.

One can almost immediately tell when they are in the presence of good music. There is a moment within the first thirty seconds of a track that galvanizes the listener's being to either skip or proceed. Nothing on Overflow warrants a skip. In fact, it is quite the opposite. Cadenza's latest EP is a passion-laden project that compels you to stay until the very last note.

There is perhaps no more fitting title to an opening track than My Love is a Hurricane for the fact that Cadenza's performance is just that. The first sound one hears is a literal swell hooking your ear for attention. I love how Cadenza's intensity is reminiscent of a freight train that is constantly barreling forward, hitting each note with precision and articulation, before swiftly moving to the next refrain. Sophia Rios commands the solo with gusto and power, never portraying timidity. And the production on her vocals is crisp and steady. Perhaps more importantly, the production on both the backing group and percussion is so tight, it allows the sound to be booming and in your face, acting as a blend of various genres. My only concern is a desire for the backing vocals to fill out space even more than they are.

While My Love is a Hurricane acts as an adrenaline rush, Vertigo is more calculated in its approach. Vertigo is a slow burn that showcases its artistry through flowing vocals and build-ups. The track is a masterclass in collective singing where each member must be tapped into one another to anticipate chord transitions. Cadenza does so as no matter what tempo the song adjusts to, the emotion seeps through and is prioritized. The percussion is less forward and does just enough to breathe life back into the song after each movement.

Vertigo culminates into a gorgeous piano (dynamically) ending that lands the plane delicately. The gentleness at song's end is welcomed and vital to balancing out the previous track.

Overflow is wrapped up in a bow and arrives home with its closer Light of a Clear Blue Morning. The country track has arguably the best pacing of all tracks on the EP, with its ballad nature, and constant coming and going of its pulse. Praise is deserved for Sera Pensoy's lead vocals that can only be characterized by a delicate intensity, especially in her higher register, which is simply beautiful. You have to respect a group that can maintain, at times, both drama and ardor behind a solo that just glides over everything else occurring. Light of a Clear Blue Morning acts as a vocal fairytale, controlled by adept singers who can stop at the drop of a hat, and then pick back up with their next movement. The song is the perfect closer.

Overflow has both the sound quality and emotional resonance to remind listeners why they love the power of music. Cadenza has produced a brilliant and stunning work of art that deserves applause!