See Emily Play has produced one of the most authentic and original EPs that I’ve heard in a while. Combining alt-country with punk-rock and contrasting with balladeering-pop, ‘Still Playing’ is a highly entertaining amalgamation of sounds and experiences tied together with threads of self-acceptance. Whether in the “rapid and rocky sounds of contemporary bluegrass” to chronicle her journey with body dysmorphic disorder (‘What the Hell is BDD’) or channelling the wonderfully off-kilter vocal of Kate Bush to address the end of a problematic relationship (‘I’m Bowing Out’), Emily traverses the contradictions of millennial life, in her own words, with humour and poignancy. It is this balance between sincerity and playfulness which gives the EP an undeniable charm. Her carefully-crafted orchestrations adding layers of meaning, thrusting the listener into their emotional depths. ‘Do You Love Me’, for example, swirls with increasing desperation. A superb performative piece shrouded in a wonderful cacophony of sound. It is this combination of lyrical creativity and musical ingenuity that makes See Emily Play such a unique artist on the contemporary scene. Someone I can’t wait to see live given the dynamism displayed on this latest record.
Featured Image (C) See Emily Play
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