“Shadowland' is an emotionally stirring track with a soulful melody and the powerful vocals of Melaku, that deals with how people feel when they are unseen or unheard”
— Music Crowns
“His fresh sound and thoughtful lyricism, infused with the iconic sounds of Motown, Top Forty AM Gold, and classic rock, pull inspiration from his spiritual, romantic, and observational life experiences, creating a sound that is deeply relatable and nostalgic—destined to captivate the ears of today’s most savvy music lovers.” - Marco Gandolfi
“The Underdog is an anthem for anyone who’s faced adversity, urging listeners to rise above their struggles with steadfast determination. Having faced challenges with his health, experiences as a mixed-race individual and overcoming hurdles in the competitive music industry, he proudly identifies with those who persevere, with these sentiments reflected in the song’s poignant message.” - Sarah Conway
“Melaku released his album titled “Dream World” and this project was beautiful and harmonically rich. The album begins with the song “Heaven Gate” and “Burning Flame.” Both of these songs served as great openers and as an introduction to the album due to the polished vocals and complex instrumentation. You can tell the songwriting approach behind both of these songs are filled with passion and represented an authentic state of emotions from Melaku. However, it wasn’t long for “I’m In Pieces” to really make us fall in love with the entire album as a whole. “I’m In Pieces” was a beautiful masterpiece. The hook was so addictive. We found ourselves replaying the hook over, and over in our heads after listening. ”
“Melaku wrote, performed, and produced the entire album on his own... The story line in this album is deeply connected to each other to have a cohesive thought-provoking process. It actually takes something thinking and some solving to be able to understand and fully appreciate the process of the album creation.” - Harrison Morgan
“Melaku doesn’t do saccharine, and he doesn’t ramble either. This newfound roots artist finds himself somewhere on the strummy side of pop, invoking elements of R&B, soft rock, and folk into his music like it’s nobody’s business. And it isn’t. Golden Age is the culmination of Melaku’s life stories all being threaded together up until this point, and it’s only in being able to convey his story to his audience that he expertly relates to theirs. With a deluxe version already announced, there’ll be plenty more of Melaku’s Golden Age to go around. Although, with what we have today, we’re already set for one great ride with the artist.” - Jonathan Frahm
“One of the most powerful songs on the EP is also the most soulful. “Love You Like A Lion” is straight out of the Motown textbook, and the chorus’ hook will infect you from the beginning. But Melaku is capable of deeper, more introspective moments as well, as on “Lost Your Lover,” and every song finds the artist handling its respective concept with a fresh burst of creativity. Of course, it’s perfectly easy to enjoy the EP without understanding the overarching theme, but it does provide some insight into Melaku’s process. It’ll be interesting to see what the extra songs add to Golden Age, but the EP in its present form is a ready-made, tightly coherent package of unadulterated, artful pop.” - Cody Conard
“Melaku, a rising act from Santa Cruz, is a name to look out for — using bouncy keys and emotive string arrangements alongside a melodic vocal delivery...Melaku’s debut album...incorporates a fondness for music of the past – specifically the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s – into a fresh vein of pop with soul and rock influence. From “Lost Your Lover” to successes like “Red Room” and “Love You Like a Lion”, Golden Age is a worthwhile listen.” - Mike Mineo
“Melaku is able to draw influence from 1950’s/60s/70/s music he grew up with. It’s able to bring a breath of fresh life into sounds of the past with his uplifting and spiritual music. We like to think that he express the evolving experimental music that was happening during those years. Melaku wants to bring the thought-provoking music back to life and have a cause to get behind on. Get behind Melaku’s cause by listening to his new debut album, “Golden Age”.” - Aaron Escobedo