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Many artists have launched their careers on charisma alone. Kali Uchis, whose pastel-filled, neo-chola image reeks of style and personality, might seem like one of those artists at first glance. But pegging her as a Tumblr sensation alone would be a mistake – and her debut EP Por Vida confirms why we chose her as one of our Breakout Artists of 2014.

At just 20 years old, Uchis makes sweet-n-sad love songs redolent of teenage yearning and packages them with the careful curation of someone wise beyond their years (she oversees all aesthetic elements of her work – from her impeccable wardrobe to her cover art to music video direction to merch design). Her personality is just fuel for what is ultimately tremendously well-crafted music, a soulful sound that – though not completely reinventing the game – also couldn’t have been made by anybody else.

Por Vida shows us a more sensitive side of Kali. The talk-rap and chillwave-inflected flavor that characterized her Drunken Babble mixtape are gone, taking a backseat to something more melodic, well-developed and upfront. This album is a slow jam extravaganza, one that’s not quite pop, not quite girl group/Northern soul, and not quite Nineties R&B but everything in between. In Por Vida Uchis creates a sound you’ll swear you’ve heard before but can’t quite put your finger on – at once familiar and fresh.

Here’s a track by track breakdown to guide you through Por Vida’s ebb and flow: