Austin Powell’s “Retribution” brings guitar-forward alternative R&B to a song about change and the need to face it. A strong groove keeps the track upbeat, with guitars at the center of a sound that draws from R&B while leaving room for a looser, more experimental approach.
The single arrives ahead of Powell’s album CHALANT, a record shaped by his move from Los Angeles to Palm Springs to care for his grandmother as her health declined. That change sits at the center of the album, along with the shift from independence to relying on someone else. “Retribution” leads into that wider story without leaving its groove behind.
Powell’s music draws on a range of artists, from Bill Withers and Hall & Oates to Frank Ocean and Steve Lacy. Here, the guitar-led arrangement gives the song a directness that suits the album’s personal focus. With CHALANT, Powell looks at what changes when life asks you to let go of the way you thought it would be.
