Sean Haefeli's independently released four-song EP, Sound Strategy, portrays a skilled and passionate musician who strives to put his best foot forward using nothing more or less than he's always known to be true to his core being. His sound is founded in the jazz he spent his childhood years exposed to, and rounded out by hints of hip-hop, soul, groove, and electronic that defined the culture of his generation. His belief in open sincerity comes across in his music, lyrics, and the personal character drawn from each song.

Mellow pianos, horns, and bass maintain an easy feel throughout the CD. Yet as a testament to the urbanism of Haefili's generation, the vocals are extremely rhythmic (a distraction from his lack of pure singing ability) and decidedly hip-hop, laced with an underlying degree of forwardness and aggression.

Although Haefeli describes his album as a "fusion of jazz, soul, hip-hop, and modern groove" the sound is mainly grounded in jazz, the likes of which his father played professionally and Sean himself was educated formerly. It's as if Haefeli purposely avoids venturing into anything too modern or commercial, instead sticking to the roots he knows for sure make him content. The drums and bass parlay into deeper grooves and hip-hop style rhythms on occasion, but mostly remain true to his musical background.

The final track, Balance, is the greatest exception, best described as a mish-mash of styles on every level. Every instrument as it is played in the song, from the drums to the horns to the vocals would fit into a jazz or soul piece as easily it would a rap song.

Much like Sean portrays himself, the album makes the best of what jazz and its adjacent genres have to offer. The result should be equally familiar to yesteryear's jazz enthusiasts and today's hip-hop, spoken word, soul, and new groove fans.

- Nokware Knight