Just in time for the holidays — okay, so it was released around Memorial Day, but I'm hearing it for the first time as we approach the year-end holidays — KC A Cappella gives us Chasing Freedom, which for me is an eagerly-awaited follow-up to 2024's Writings on the Wall (my first experience with the group).

In all honesty, I can't really pinpoint from the music-making how the phrase Chasing Freedom relates to the material covered here, but the work is excellent across the board. There's still the shiny, slick gloss that was perhaps a guilty pleasure of the group's 2024 release. But perhaps in the brevity of four songs here (vs six there) or in unifying the arranging duties under the reliably marvelous Rob Dietz (vs the collection of guest stars from the last album) — or perhaps simply just the growth of a group that's been around longer and found even more confidence — this EP feels like a step forward of sorts. It's not so much that it's wildly different in character or execution, but more that what works has been polished to an even more brilliant shine, and some of what didn't work before has been discarded.

At the top of the list of what works is Runaway Baby — top to bottom. Yes, I'm an unabashed Bruno Mars fan so perhaps I'm predisposed to like a cover of one of his tunes. At the same time, I'd be the first to be critical if it didn't live up to expectations. No such concern here. This is just pure, unadulterated, boppy, energetic fun, made especially potent by the ear-grabbing attitude exuded by soloist Sophia Mullinax right from the jump and carried through to the final moment. As an arranger, Dietz is especially adept at building arrangements that develop layers and vary as they move through their second verse-choruses and bridges, often ornamenting with tried-and-true techniques like bell tones and shifts into half-time "feels" — both of which are utilized here without ever feeling gratuitous or excessive (as they sometimes do from arrangers who are more showing off a bag of tricks than serving the material). The solo work of Taylor Bell on the closing Santa Tell Me — the group seems to have established a dialogue with St. Nick, having also ended the last EP with Santa, Can't You Hear Me — also deserves a shout for its faithfulness to the Ariana Grande original while also being very much Bell's own, with some monster riffing and belting at the end.

As for the other half of the album, it's not that I don't have anything to say about Unwritten, but perhaps the greatest revelation for me was learning that Danielle Brisebois (a TV and Broadway child actor of my youth) is a co-author of the song (who knew? Not I.). Dietz's arrangement of it and the group's delivery is pretty much everything you'd expect and want — predictable, reliable, and very well-done. There's nothing exceedingly remarkable about it, but there isn't anything meaningful to quibble with either.

It's only on Lizzy McAlpine's Erase Me where I felt a measure of emotional lacking and disappointment, even as the performances and aural presentation remain first-rate. For starters, this is a contemplative, doubting, regret-infused song (which I love) and I felt very little of that from Devin Fisher, even though the solo is perfectly lovely on the surface. In particular on the back end of the song, there are moments where I sense Fisher is really into singing this song, but not entirely connected with what is being said and described. My other nagging grumble is that the original of this tune — written and performed in partnership with Jacob Collier — uses wonderful and complex vocal harmonies to enhance and accent various moments. Perhaps it was unavoidable in an a large-ensemble cappella adaptation/interpretation, but in crafting the foundational chordal "padding" for the solo to sit atop, many of those harmonic embellishments from the original are smoothed over or obfuscated entirely. The whole thing is still objectively pleasing to my ear but, in the case of this song specifically, slightly unfulfilling to my soul.

As an all-star high school group in the Kansas City metro area, which operates under the aegis of a non-profit that may have greater resources than a "typical" scholastic group, one can only hope that annual, or bi-annual releases will continue to remain a staple of KC A Cappella in the years to come. Or stated more plainly: these kids are consistently terrific. I'm excited to keep listening.

Reviewing an EP is tricky: four songs can highlight a group's best twelve minutes, but they may not capture the full range of the sound, and a repetitive style is easier to overlook in a brief recording. With Chasing Freedom, KC A Cappella delivers an EP full of uptempo, big-sounding tracks. It's an enjoyable listen, though the lack of variety keeps it from feeling fully dynamic.

The group jumps right out of the gate with Unwritten, turning a familiar song into a big bright a cappella statement. If you've heard other versions of the track (and chances are, you have), this one cranks it up to 11 with polished production, a bouncy rhythm, and a shiny, uplifting tone.

KC A Cappella shows some inventive twists on the next two tracks, gender-swapping the soloists on Lizzy McAlpine's Erase Me and Bruno Mars's Runaway Baby. Listeners unfamiliar with the originals might not notice the change, but it adds subtle depth and nuance, giving these tracks a fresh perspective. Devin Fisher, in particular, channels genuine heartache on Erase Me, making it the standout track of the EP.

There's not much to a 12-minute EP, but what KC A Cappella delivers on Chasing Freedom is solid and enjoyable. With standout moments like Erase Me and a few clever twists throughout, the group shows promise and hints at even greater potential for a longer release.

On the group's last album, KC A Cappella (also known as Soundproof) set itself up as overly ambitious, but highly capable. The members gave themselves some very lofty goals and fell just a bit short of excellence. I was really hoping that this release would be a chance for the group to collect itself and try again. Chasing Freedom isn't the same playbook, but it's a bit disheartening. This short release is fun and has some flashes of talent, but is plagued by monotony and lack of dynamic intrigue.

Unwritten begins easy enough. The classic earworm from Natasha Bedingfield's original constantly permeates the original, keeping everything light and bouncy. However, there is very little past the surface that really strikes me. There is something manically monochromatic about this piece. Dynamic changes feel minimal. I craved some sort of piano dynamic at some point just to keep things interesting. I wouldn't be surprised if dynamics come across more in a live setting, but they're certainly not coming across here.

Erase Me is the anomaly of the EP. This track begins and ends with soloist Devin Fisher. This solo is just bursting at the seams with soul. There is a level of voice control through the riffs and runs that is sheer perfection. However, the background feels almost contradictory to the foreground. The first chorus highlights the discrepancy. The solo goes from a higher mixed voice to a lower and more earthy chest voice. The background shifts from pinging arpeggiations to the first solid chords. It should be an indication to the listener that the solo is saying something almost secretive but very important. However, there's a problem. Whether by intent or the simple fact that higher frequencies resonate more easily, the background is nearly overpowering the solo. The track keeps becoming a game of cat and mouse, always resulting in the wrong moments having impact or none at all. Moments are apparent and well-broadcasted, but the big impacts never arrive.

Runaway Baby and Santa Tell Me are relatively similar in their intent, just with different executions. Runaway is loud and in your face, showcasing Sophia Mullinax as a force to be reckoned with. This short track is meant to get you on your feet and excited. However, the excitement of a purely loud piece lasts really only about the length of the track and leaves me hungry for more rather than wanting to go back and listen again. Santa highlights Taylor Bell and some spectacular control for a solo in the stratosphere, but it takes most of the song to finally settle in and give something other than a mezzo-forte dynamic. These pieces would benefit from both broad strokes of dynamics and microdynamics in the phrases to keep everything interesting. It's just loud, and loud doesn't stick in the memory too well.

Of course, as I write this, I'm overlooking one key element: the pieces are all there. This EP has a beaucoup of soloist power, and I wouldn't be surprised to hear there's more fantastic voices waiting in the wings. The arrangements are all complex and interesting. Everything wants to come together, it just doesn't quite get there. Perhaps it's a misstep in the studio, but it could also outline a need for the group to sit down and collectively decide what they want the music to do. Either way, I'll tentatively give Chasing Freedom another listen for now, but I'll anxiously await the next release.