It’s safe to say that Emily Faye is one of the most exciting new country acts in the UK. She began writing songs in her bedroom before studying at the British and Irish Modern Music Institute for four years, and was named as one of Rolling Stone’s Top Ten Artists You Need To Know in 2017. Now she’s releasing her debut EP, Here I Am, which was recorded in Nashville (including at Zac Brown’s Southern Ground studio) and Essex.
The four-track EP kicks off with the upbeat Open Road. Faye’s sweet, delicate vocal balances nicely with the twangy, driving rhythm and I liked the optimistic lyrics of the song as well. It’s definitely catchy and my favourite song on the EP as a whole.
One thing this EP shows is that Faye is just as comfortable performing more uptempo tracks as she is on her ballads. Giving In contrasts its slow, gentle melody and Faye’s breathy vocals with her almost defiant lyrics, whilst the introspective yet uplifting Me For Me, about feeling comfortable with a partner who loves you for who you are, mixes dreamlike effects with her wistful vocals.
Overall I really enjoyed the traditional feel of Here I Am and think it’s a great introduction to Faye’s music. She showed that she’s a diverse performer with a sweet vocal that works across a variety of styles, and has a really good turn of phrase on songs such as Game Over, with its open road feeling and snakes-and-ladders imagery. Although there are some moments where I felt the songs needed a little more depth and gravel, this is a solid debut release and I’m keen to hear more from her.
[brid autoplay=”true” video=”217380″ player=”531″ title=”Emily Faye Giving In (Official Video)”]
Track listing: 1. Open Road 2. Giving In 3. Game Over 4. Me For Me Record label: Emily Faye Release date: 27th April 2018
