Ohio Pop artist Katie Bates grabbed listener's attention with her latest EP, Filter. This EP released in March of 2019, broadcasted a new change in style to Bates' music, and this definite change can be heard when compared to her previous self-titled EP. This new, and edgier sound that Bates has adapted to her music portrays her as an individual, rather than being just the lead singer in a band. Such is the case in her last EP. I would argue that this change brings forth a better sound to Bates, yet with this change into bass-driven Pop, she must walk a very fine line to keep her content sounding original, or run this risk of blending in too much within the current scene. Her individuality sets her apart, and I would really hate to see that disappear. Additionally, Bates had been placed on the official ballot for the 2019 Grammy Awards by the Recording Academy in the following categories: Song of the Year, Best Pop Solo Performance, Best Pop Vocal Album, and Best Music Video.

This EP started with "Pretty Toned Filter", which included really cool Pop vibes mixed with a glitter-type-beat. Her voice on this track reminded me of a girl Post Malone, especially during the chorus "Take me back to those magical moments/the nights of pretty toned filter"." Her energy and deep voice in this track make the song super enjoyable to listen to and made the listener crave more.

Moving on, track two "Naked" incorporated a deeper, and slower sounding bass at the start of the song, and moved into a nightclub-type-beat further along. The lyrics in the song reflected Bates being attracted to someone and wanting to "get ya naked." Other lyrics in the song such as "Yeah, I wanna seduce your mind/while our souls intertwine" suggest that Bates isn't only attracted to this person's body, but also them as an intellectual. In my perspective, I think Bates does an excellent job on this track in sticking to themes of seduction because every element of this song sounded like baby making music.

Track three "Heart You Times Two" was one of my favorite tracks on this EP and featured an outstanding "finger-snap" type beat, mixed over classic piano. I really enjoyed this song because I feel that Bates' voice perfectly fit the tone of the song, especially during the chorus, "I just want to be home/that's wherever you are." This was a song that I found myself constantly going back to after the EP had ended.

"Shifting Gears" wasn't my favorite song off of this EP because I felt that it was too mainstream Pop with Bates singing "Oh yeah, oh yeah, shifting gears" at the beginning of the track. This song also had heavy influences from Ariana Grande and once again Post Malone, due to lyrics like "Lets shift a gear lets go riding/your body like a road trip (skkrt!)" This song was one of the more repetitive tracks on this EP and I felt that it didn't have as much substance to it as other tracks like "Pretty Toned Filter" or "Heart You Times Two" did.

Moving forward, track five "Love Again" sounded super similar to "Shifting Gears", which isn't a bad thing, but considering that I didn't enjoy the latter, I can say the same about the former. It still used that slow, Post Malone type sound to it, which I thought was good, but didn't' make Bates stand out as an artist. There weren't any memorable lyrics in the track, and the overall tone of the song made it easy to skip when replaying the EP.

The last track on this EP, "Hurts So Good" tied everything together very nicely. The song diverged from a huge Pop sound that we had heard up until this point, and moved into something more acoustic. This was a great change of pace to end the EP on, and made me want to keep Filter on a loop.

Overall Filter was a very fun EP to listen to and I would definitely recommend Bates' music to anyone who listens to Ke$ha, Post Malone, Ariana Grande, or Halsey. Her vocals, mixed with catchy lyrics, and an excellent background beat make for a great listening experience, and I look forward to hearing future projects from her. This EP received a 7.5 out of 10 for uniqueness, creativity, and style, and I would definitely grab this EP if it was released on vinyl. I would definitely be interested in Bates singing about different subjects other than love, or love loss because I feel that she has more to write than just love songs.