Julia-Sophie releases her cathartic debut solo EP “y?” granting us an insight to the trials and tribulations of a relationship and the release that comes with acknowledging the pain in love.
After reviewing her single ‘i left you’ and interviewing the artist for our feature back in March, I was delighted to be able to review her full EP in anticipation of its release today.
Julia-Sophie has the astonishing ability to create a perfect tapestry of tension and release.
Emma Miller » indie top 39
As I see it, Julia-Sophie’s debut solo-EP is an insightful examination of the pain, heartache and difficult truths we can harbour around a relationship. One of the most prominent elements of her music is her astonishing ability to create a perfect tapestry of tension and release. It’s an almost visceral experience as you become swept up in the organised chaos of the music only to be gifted a moment of space to pause and catch your breath before plunging down into the depths again.
The honest and direct lyric remain a guiding force helping you to navigate the terrain together and to let go, just as she does.
Emma Miller » Indie top 39
With its world premiere on the Lauren Laverne show on Thursday morning, the opening song ‘breathe’ is the perfect entry point to the “y?” EP and eases you into the artist’s sonic world. Her signature vintage drum beats take on a more subdued pace here as they’re caressed by delicate vocals delivering the lyric “there’s a darkness inside of me” before the song erupts into a powerful, pulsing sea of electronic layers with the mantra of ‘breathe’ prevailing as it’s sung above. In songs like ‘i left you’ there is a pronounced franticness in the music which adds to a sense of overwhelm, yet the honest and direct lyric remain a guiding force helping you to navigate the terrain together with Julia-Sophie, and to let go, just as she does.
“y?” flows from start to finish with such a clearly confident identity it can’t help but leave a lasting impression.
Emma Miller » indie top 39
The overriding feeling running through this debut is a cathartic one. In all the glorious fractured layers of vintage drum machine beats and pulsating synths there is a sense of redemption or breaking free by the sheer existence of the songs themselves. By articulating these deep rooted and powerful truths about the heart wrenching pain that occurs within love and relationships she has created a space for both artist and listener to acknowledge these emotions and regain a sense of ownership or control over those same feelings. “y?” flows from start to finish with such a clearly confident identity it can’t help but leave a lasting impression. When new fans discover Julia-Sophie I imagine they’ll become quite the devotees as they sense a kindred spirt in their midsts, before being carried across a sea of synths and pulsations and into another realm. She’s already gaining industry recognition for her talents and it’s no wonder, she’s an artist carving her own path and it shows.
Julia-Sophie’s debut solo EP “y?” is released on cassette by Oxford based indie label Beanie Tapes and can be streamed everywhere now.
