Cleveland-born singer/songwriter/producer Cautious Clay (AKA Josh Karpeh) got my attention with his spectacular 2018 single “Cold War,” which appeared on his EP Blood Type, as well as the basically flawless soundtrack for HBO’s Insecure. It’s one of his best songs for sure, and that’s no doubt why Taylor Swift sampled it for her song “London Boy.” Cautious Clay’s also a multi-instrumentalist—flute, sax, guitar, drums, bass, and keys—and currently on the road behind 2019’s six-track EP Table of Context, which packs deep and emotive R&B gems like “Sidewinder,” “Reasons,” and “Settler’s Paradise.” by Jenni Moore