Cautious Clay ist der Künstlername des in Cleveland, Ohio, geborenen, in New York lebenden Sängers, Songwriters, Produzenten und Multiinstrumentalisten Joshua Karpeh. Aus R&B, Hip-Hop, Leftfield-Indie-Pop und Jazz-Elementen hat sich Cautious Clay einen Namen für poetische und emotional ehrliche Musik gemacht, die sich durch sein anspruchsvolles Songwriting, seinen gefühlvollen Gesang und seinen filmischen Sound auszeichnet.

Auf dem Album „Karpeh“ setzt sich Cautious Clay mit seinen Wurzeln, seiner Abstammung und Familiengeschichte auseinander, erkundet seine Vergangenheit und Gegenwart, auf der Suche nach einer universellen Wahrheit für seine Zukunft. Das Album hat er in drei Kapitel aufgebrochen:

PART 1. THE PAST EXPLAINED
My early life going up in Ohio + my family's past experiences being the cornerstone of what shaped me for better + worse. Themes of unwavering self-reliance, the "tides" of family/work life balance, race, + cultural identity are throughout this section.

Tracklist:

1. 102 Years of Comedy (Intro) 0:33 (Cautious Clay)
2. Fishtown 2:57 (Cautious Clay/Hans Galvez)
3. Ohio 2:51 (Cautious Clay/Spencer Allen)
4. Karpehs Don't Flinch 2:09 (Cautious Clay)
5. The Tide Is My Witness 3:39 (Cautious Clay)
6. Take a Half (a Feeling We Chase) 0:42 (Cautious Clay)
7. Another Half feat. Julian Lage 2:29 (Cautious Clay/Julian Lage)

PART 2. THE HONEYMOON OF EXPLORATION
Branching out from my past/family members before me embracing vices, personal gratification, and deep self-reflection - different forms of intimacy, psychedelic drugs, + togetherness are a crucial part of this section.

8. Repeat Myself 2:08 (Cautious Clay/Julian Lage)
9. Glass Face feat. Kai Eckhardt and Arooj Aftab 3:17 (Cautious Clay/Kai Eckhardt/Arooj Aftab)
10. Walls & a Roof (Interlude) 0:27 (Cautious Clay)
11. Unfinished House feat. Julian Lage 2:33 (Cautious Clay/Julian Lage)

PART 3. A BITTER & SWEET SOLITUDE
Learning how to be alone with my "thoughts" in order to be the healthiest version of myself when I am around friends, family, etc. No matter where I go in life, being alone is a beautiful + eternal truth. There are themes of greed, death, + speaking for myself/my own needs. While this section lacks alot of lyrical content, sonically it is oscillating between heavier/aggressive and more soft/mellow sonic components.

12. Blue Lips feat. Julian Lage 4:07 (Cautious Clay/Julian Lage/Oscar Santander)
13. Tears of Fate 4:33 (Cautious Clay/Julian Lage)
14. Yesterday's Price feat. Immanuel Wilkins and Ambrose Akinmusire 5:16 (Cautious Clay/Immanuel Wilkins/Ambrose Akinmusire)
15. Moments Stolen 3:57 (Cautious Clay)

Cautious Clay (artistic conception, vocals)
Joshua Karpeh (saxophone, flute, guitar, synthesizer, bass, bass clarinet)
Additional Musicians:
Alwyn Robinson (drums), Joshua Crumbly (bass), Julius Rodriguez (piano), Julian Lage (guitar),
Sean Rickman (drums), Daniel Pappalardo (bass), Kai Eckhardt (bass), Arooj Aftab (vocals)
Joel Ross (vibraphone), Immanuel Wilkins (alto saxophone), Ambrose Akinmusire (trumpet)
Meryl Cooper, Titee Marion Karpeh, Olivia Howell, William Dingus and Caitlyn Harris (spoken word)
Georgia Heers, Sarah K. Pedinotti, William Dingus (additional vocals)