The metamorphosis from Wildwood Kin to Fieldlily has not been as radical as the timespan. The Key sisters have retained much of their electro-folk that still washes over the soul like waves on a shore. The difference now, in the absence of drummer Meg, is less a punctuation and more a delicate offering of wisdom gleaned. Their debut EP, ‘Grow’, forming from four years of uncertainty to become a wonderfully introspective work.
It displays the same depth of lyricism for which Beth and Emillie have always been known. The first line of the title track setting in motion the slow, sometimes painful, often strange, journey through life’s seasons. The push and pull of action and reflection, trying to figure things out as the world keeps spinning, becomes an ideal metaphor for our contemporary age.
Much like in their previous incarnation, there is a focus on mental wellbeing. Their use of the natural world still existing as a place of revelation. That walk through the meadow in ‘Let Go’ is particularly powerful. The final line of its chorus profound in its apparent contradiction:
“I hardly knew what it truly meant to you when I let go”
One can feel the shackles loosening as the EP goes on. The freedom felt in the music of ‘Tell It How It Is’ echoing into the final track. ‘Shelter’ embracing a quiet but stable hope.
Here, looming storm clouds are met with renewed resilience. There is an inner strength that speaks both of safety and perseverance. At one point, ‘The Bones’ by Maren Morris resonates; at another, ‘Safe’ by Ward Thomas. It is the kind of love we all look for, and which Fieldlily seem to have found. It caps off an honest and hopeful collection. One which, for the time taken, has been worth the wait.
You can listen to ‘Grow’ on most streaming platforms, as well as purchase a digital or hard copy via their websites.
Featured Image (C) Fieldlily
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