EP Review: Sonia Espiritu

EP Review: Sonia Espiritu - Shut Up

By Abbie Howell

Sonia Espiritu is a Mexican-Filipino artist from California whose music is about to be making waves in the alternative indie-rock scene.

Her debut EP, ‘SHUT UP’, releases tomorrow (June 3rd) and we had to honour of being sent an early release from the musician we’ve watched blossom over the past few years. The EP is made up of 4 tracks that herald the start of summer with warm vocals, innovative production, and vibey instrumentals.

The EP’s first track, ‘lately’, lulls the listener into a sense of calmness with its melodic piano melody, which then accelerates with the introduction of train noises in the background. Espiritu’s vocals and honey-like harmonies guide the reader through an impressive instrumental track with a catchy guitar rhythm and a bassline that is impossible to not love.

Providing the perfect soundtrack for a chill summer morning is ‘drops in june’, the EP’s second song. Hazy instrumental production, coupled with Espiritu’s haunting vocals, lulls the reader into a state of relaxation. The fading instrumentals into vocal-oriented sound at the end of the track is one of my favourite parts of the EP and has given my summer strolls a beautiful soundtrack!

Moving into a less ethereal, more grunge vibe is the EP’s penultimate track, ‘5foot2’. A perfect beginning-of-the-end alternative indie-punk track, with a catchy melody and 80’s style guitar and synth production, this is a hit for all you retro-lovers out there.

‘SHUT UP’, the EP’s final track, is my top pick of the album and the one I’ve had on constant repeat! The light vocals and stripped-back guitar are ethereal and take listeners through a surprise journey when the song flips to a heavier guitar and melodic, frustrated vocals. This abrupt flip in sound reminded me of the first song of the album and made the whole EP cohesive and cyclical.

The journey of emotions that this EP took me on, both through fantastic instrumental production and Espiritu’s unique voice, has meant’SHUT UP’ will definitely be my looped soundtrack of the summer - and I hope it will be yours too.

Edited by Emily Duff

Comments

‘Make Tattooing Safe Again’: Sheffield Based Tattoo Artist Exposed for Indecent Behaviour

by Emily Fletcher TW: SA, Animal Abuse, Transphobia Photo Credit: @ meiko_akiz uki Recently, an Instagram account has been created to provide a ‘space to safely give a voice to those who want to speak out about the behaviour of one, Sheffield based tattoo artist’. A total of 40+ posts have been made by the above social media account regarding one of Sheffield's most popular tattoo artists . Thankfully, all posts are prefaced with a Content Warning prior to sharing screenshots of the messages that have been sent anonymously to the page. The majority of Content Warnings refer to sexual behaviour, abuse, and sexual assault. It is clear that there is a reoccurring theme within each submission, as many clients appear to have had the same experiences with the tattoo artist. Women, mostly, are being made to feel uncomfortable while being tattooed. One of the most vulnerable positions anyone can be in, tattoo artists should make their clients feel comfortable and safe during the pro

Eurydice’s Last Words

by Kate Bradley I do not want to return To sit in the stalls, Of an empty black box Strewn with petals Leave the ghost light on, Let it shine like a call home, But I will not come back To turn it off alone. I learn this as we walk Our ever so solemn path Our thudding funeral march, You think we’re going back. As I trace my old steps, I fear of the day When the symphony swells, And I land my gaze On you, yet you will be Enraptured by the sound, If you did twist To turn around, You would not see me. So I am not sorry, I speak out into the empty air And I am not sorry. “Turn Around.” You do, you look You think I fall But I run on, Arms wide open To fall in love With it all “Perhaps she was the one who said, ‘Turn around.” On the X45 bus, back from the Tyneside Cinema, I wrote a poem entitled “Eurydice’s Final Words”, after having seen “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”. That poem was terrible, so I wrote a new one, as my response to the beautifully poignant film. In one scene, Héloïse , an 1

Single Review: ‘Tell Me’ - Jay Moussa-Mann

by Ilana Hawdon The feeling of pure betrayal and heartbreak is perfectly captured in Jay Moussa-Mann’s latest single, ‘Tell Me’. Jay Moussa-Mann is the folk dream we have been waiting for. A favourite on BBC Introducing, Radio 6 and BBC Radio Tees, Jay ’s sound is easy on the ears but delightfully addictive. With a background in writing and film, she began her solo musical venture when she released her debut album, ‘Little Deaths’ in late-2019, and since then, Moussa-Mann has defined herself as an artist with unbelievable range and promise. ‘Tell Me’ is completely timeless; with notes of Carole King and Joni Mitchell, Moussa-Mann creates a folk-inspired track which is simultaneously heart wrenching and strangely empowering. Beginning as a simple guitar tune, ‘Tell Me’ builds with layers of luscious strings and twinkling piano, tied together with Jay ’s vocal line which is equal parts melancholic and divine. The song feels unwaveringly intimate; the lyrics ask, ‘what was I worth?’

Darling Magazine

Search This Blog