The soulful debut from Kaina Castillo plays out like a sigh – of exhaustion, of comfort, of knowing. Her warm voice guides the R&B elegance of Next to the Sun, delving into everything from its author’s experiences as a first generation Chicagoan to simple childhood crushes. Lullaby-esque “House” opens with a plain-spoken assertion of immigrant acceptance and the trilingual “Could Be a Curse,” written and performed with multi-instrumentalist Sen Morimoto, churns through English, Spanish, and Japanese. The salsa-imbued “Green” celebrates heritage and familial commitment as the LP culminates in a dreamy slow-burn. (Sunday, 2:45pm, Tito’s stage; weekend one only)

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This article appears in October 4 • 2019.

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