(Independent Release) Athens emcee Seline Haze found music only recently, having formerly honed her creative chops as a poet and blogger. As such, her work has an unflinchingly honest quality, and Saga of Love—the first of a two-part series planned for 2018, with counterpart Feel set to drop this summer—balances the intensity of spoken word with the joy of artistic discovery.

One of a handful of current names seemingly popping up on every hip-hop bill around town, Haze’s work ethic and lyrical dexterity are evident on the eight-track EP. Over lo-fi backpacker beats crafted by Jon B., Haze spits crafty bars about everything from identity to eternity, tackling weighty topics with otherworldly cool.

Among scene heads, Haze is considered to be one of Athens’ most exciting young upstarts, and Saga of Love oozes raw talent. The record is brief, its sequencing wanting and its production unvarnished, but it’s enough to whet any local rap fan’s appetite for more.