Canadian singer-songwriter Ruth Berhe, commonly known as Ruth B, first gained popularity by broadcasting her talents on Vine and leaped to viral fame within a matter of months after signing with Columbia Records. Her EP The Intro is comprised of four disappointingly similar songs: “2 Poor Kids”, “Lost Boy”, “Golden” and “Superficial Love.”

Her first single, “Lost Boy”, which is also the second song on her EP, is a beautiful, broken down, Peter-Pan-themed ballad musing on finding religious salvation. The song at surface value is about Peter Pan, fairies and pixie dust but provides listeners with a relatable, underlying theme.

“There was a time when I was alone, nowhere to go and no place to call home / My only friend was the man in the moon and even sometimes he would go away too”, she sings.

“Lost Boy” sends a message about finding the space, comfort and confidence to dream and create at your own will. Along with the other three songs, Ruth B’s keyboard is her only accompaniment, yet this ballad is sung in a reassuringly haunting and moving tone. Her other songs evoke a similar narrative but the repetitive musical set up of each ballad may bore audiences who long for musical diversity.

Piano ballads aim to seep into one’s veins and slowly spread to the soul. It is supposed to decorate one’s atmosphere through its impacting combination of keys that emit a sense of peace and clarity. The Intro, however, lacks originality and each component of the EP has characteristics that are too similar and make it difficult to tell each song apart. Although her voice is soothing and controlled, it lacks the power that artists such as Christina Perri, Sara Bareilles or Elena Tonra from Daughter epitomize.

Daughter’s songs typically make claims of vast emotional experiences that exceed the scope of Tonra’s somber, poetic lyrics which often bleed with emotion. Her whispering voice stirs any listener’s most deep emotions; the band’s mix of indie-pop and gothic post-punk produces original and ultimately stellar albums. Christina Perri is also one to throw herself into each of her songs that emulate the angst that is also produced by artists such as Alanis Morissette or Paramore’s Hayley Williams.

Although Ruth B’s EP may not have started out strong, Ruth B shows musical competence which indicates potential in her future.

Favorite song: Golden.

Least favorite song: Lost Boy.

Score: 6/10.