The 2019 second Sound Off! semifinal round concluded on Saturday, showcasing the talent of six more emerging PNW artists on MoPop’s lavish Sky Church stage. Due to Seattle’s snow storms earlier this month, the initial round of semifinals was cancelled, with the acts being dispersed over two rounds of semifinals.

With the second and last semifinal round now complete, the Sound Off! 2019 final grouping is set. Port Orchard based hip-hop phenom Alex Cade advanced alongside neo-soul outfit i///u as the first place winners of each round. The final foursome is rounded out by Tacoma indie-pop quartet Baja Boy (who advanced as the higher-scoring second place winner), and Huey and the InFLOWentials, as the wildcard pick from MoPOP’s Youth Advisory Board. Those four will go on to duke it out for the title of Sound Off! 2019 champion on March 2nd, but Saturday’s show also featured standout performances from several other acts.

Sharmaine

Kicking off the semifinal round was Kent-based r&b artist Sharmaine, who immediately disarmed the audience with stunning vocals and a calm but commanding presence onstage. The singer-songwriter was equipped with only a microphone and was backed by the dynamic DJ Melonic (Ivan Marquez), who provided a steady supply of genre-bending beats.

Sharmaine’s personality and vocal depth were among the highlights of the entire night. The backing tracks had an impressive range in style, and the vocals tied everything together with a distinct elegance that is rare — let alone amongst artists 21 and younger. Sharmaine’s final three songs epitomized this range, starting off with a a slowly building ballad titled “Home” and finishing with the insanely catchy single, “Vibrant,” a track that captures a timeless summer sound and is worth blasting on repeat.  Throughout this sequence, Sharmaine was vibing with the audience, at one point even coming off the stage to dance and sing from within the crowd.

While Sharmaine did not advance to the Sound Off! finals, this is surely an artist to watch closely and support live.

Niamh

Niamh (pronounced NEEV) took the Sky Church stage second. The 18-year-old electropop singer-songwriter is based in Portland, with an international background via Scotland and Ireland.

Starting off her set on acoustic guitar and backed by a keyboardist and bassist, the rest of her band was unfortunately not present. While the performance did include drums and guitars via backing tracks, this ultimately seemed to present a challenge for the trio to stay perfectly in sync with the tracks for the entirety of the set. That being said, Niamh’s performance was full of energy, especially so during the live rendition of her recent single, “Love Bug Teens.” Niamh’s voice was certainly the most dynamic and controlled of her instruments, and it shined on this moody and emotional track.  The twisting chord progression stayed with me through the night. I even woke up Sunday morning after the show humming the catchy chorus over and over while making coffee.

I would be interested to see Niamh again with a full backing band and will be excited to hear more from the talented pop songwriter in the future.  

Alex Cade

Alex Cade absolutely owned the massive Sky Church stage. Coming up to meet an already hyped crowd, Cade delivered such a refined lyrical craft and sound that I kept thinking, “damn. This would be a hard act to follow.” That sentiment must have also resonated with the judges, as the Port Orchard rapper won the second semifinal.

Originally from Detroit, MI, Cade released an impressive EP, For A Reason, in January 2019.  The strength of his recordings were realized during his live set at the Sound Off! semifinal. He was emotive and precise in his vocal delivery and physically in-sync with nearly every subtly of the beats on his tracks. Adding to that energy was the general production strength, which demonstrated a sonic maturity and thoughtfulness of arrangement that matched the lyrical content.

“No Reason” was among the best from the set, where he deviated into singing with technical precision and poise. I fully expect him to bring the same depth to the final on March 2nd. As he noted on social media Sunday, “this is only the beginning.”

Baja Boy

Tacoma-based pop outfit Baja Boy brought a nice change of pace as the first four-piece of the evening. The brainchild of Christian Taylor, who wrote and recorded his first album at age fifteen, Baja Boy incorporated a full band on Saturday to enhance Taylor’s “pop shenanigans” with “a bigger, synth pop sound.”  I was very impressed with the restraint and patience of the band, who sounded extremely in sync with Taylor’s vision through the entire set. The bass playing was a major highlight, often extremely melodic and acute in contrast to the reverb-laden wall of guitar being produced by Taylor on the six-string Rickenbacker.

Falling somewhere between the pop styling of Boy Pablo and the aesthetic of Seattle contemporary (and Sound Off! 2018 alum) Strawberry Mountain, the full-band iteration of Baja Boy ultimately had their own unique sound mostly characterized by Taylor’s strong songwriting.

They deviated from their laid-back vibe for a final song that was marked by a surprisingly upbeat disco style and impressive falsetto vocals. I wasn’t surprised to see Baja Boy advance to the final, and I definitely look forward to hearing more of the “pop shenanigans” they produce moving forward through this competition, as well as over the next few years.

Fuzz Mutt

Everett garage-rock trio Fuzz Mutt took the stage to what may have been the largest fanbase of the night (or, at least the most vocal). Kicking off their set with a self-described dance number titled “The Doubt,” guitarist and vocalist Max Stephens had the audience moving from the first few distorted chords. Reminiscent of 2015 Sound Off! runner-up Naked Giants — and certainly channeling the prime 90’s pop punk sounds of Green Day’s Dookie or The Muff’s Blonder and Blonder — Fuzz Mutt spent 20 furious minutes purveying tried-and-true rock at an impressive level of mastery for such a young band.

While Fuzz Mutt didn’t advance in the 2019 Sound Off! competition, their future is certainly bright within the PNW music scene and beyond. Fuzz Mutt definitely set themselves apart with tight execution and compelling youthful energy.

Crissy P

Kent, WA hip-hop artist Crissy P likely had the toughest draw of the six by going last, but he still delivered a high-energy set, leading off with his impeccable track “Roots.”  The recording of this single is down-right infectious and serves as a good example of how the MC draws from more fundamental hip-hop elements than many emerging artists within the genre. The live performance was also strong, receiving a boost from a backing drummer and doubled vocals from the backing DJ.

Crissy P did have trouble sustaining the energy level of that opening track for the entire set, though. This may have been a result of feedback from the fatigued audience, leading to confirmation that a four artist semi-final is likely a superior format. Despite this, Crissy P did not hold anything back in his performance. If the quality of “Roots” is any indicator, we have much to look forward to from Crissy P.

Kent, WA r&b singer-songwriter Sharmaine was the first performer of the night. // Photos by Venky Krish

Sharmaine's vocals were among the best of the entire round, marked by rare charisma and effortlessness.

Sharmaine's presence was calm and compelling on the massive Sky Church stage at MoPop.

Guest MC, D. White, makes a cameo.

Sharmaine's endlessly catchy single "Vibrant" was a highlight of her set.

Electropop artist Niamh (pronounced NEEV) was the second act of the night.

Currently based in Portland, Niamh has international roots via Ireland and Scotland.

Niamh was vocally appreciative of her friends and fans throughout the performance.

The moody pop single "Love Bug Teens" was a standout from Niamh's 20 minute set.

Niamh was dynamic onstage.

A compelling vocalist, Niamh's powerful voice was the emphasis throughout the set.

Alex Cade came out on top of the second semifinal round.

Cade presented a commanding yet natural flow and presence onstage.

The Detroit, MI native is currently based out of Port Orchard, WA.

Cade recently released an EP, For A Reason, in January 2019.

Closing track "Woosah" was a crowd pleaser.

Tacoma four-piece Baja Boy advanced to the finals as the higher-scoring second place act of the semifinal rounds.

Christian Taylor wrote and recorded the first Baja Boy album at age fifteen.

The bass playing of Brook Jones was a highlight of Baja Boy's set.

Fuzz Mutt kicked off their set with a danceable distorted jammer titled "The Doubt."

Bassist Sean Groda and guitarist Max Stephens feeding off each other's energy onstage.

The Everett-based garage rockers were energized by the audience and grandiose nature of the stage.

Fuzz Mutt's debut EP, Colorless, was released in April 2018. 

Fuzz Mutt's presence and sound was reminiscent of the 2015 Sound Off! runner up: Seattle, WA trio Naked Giants.

Stephens mid-hair thrash.

Kent, WA artist Crissy P was the final performer of the second semifinals round.

His style is more in line with traditional elements of hip hop than many other artists of his generation.

Crissy P was introduced to hip hop by his uncle when he was seven years old.

Crissy P's single, "Roots," was among the highest energy tracks of the night. // Photos by Venky Krish