London born singer-songwriter Ysabel Bain has always added quality to her sound which always allows her music to really reach the hearts of listeners, and that quality is the honesty and heart that she injects into each of her songs. Using her commitment to “speak her mind” as a musical weapon, this sentiment pairs wonderfully with her gospel and soul influences to truly give her tunes an expertly intimate feel.
Following her debut single ‘Shame’ in 2017, Ysabel Bain has released a steady amount of singles over the following years. And while it seemed that the same would apply to the year of 2020, we were pleased to discover that Ysabel sought to round this year off with a debut EP of sorts.
What makes this EP different to your typical EP, however, actually works greatly in Bain’s favour, as this EP, titled We Are, is recorded live from The Clarendon Centre in Brighton. And given just how well Ysabel Bain brings intimacy to her music, we knew that the live nature of We Are would only increase the level of intimacy to a soul-lifting level.
The We Are EP is a body of work containing four tracks, which includes a live cover of Ysabel Bain’s single ‘Blade Runner’, which was released earlier this year. We are also treated to a handful of featured artists, including Laura Tomasello, Afro Ori, and MERRILL.
Going into this EP, we felt that it started off brilliantly. The opening track of the EP, titled ‘Aftermath’, really sounds like how one would expect an acoustic live set to start. And naturally, with its soft and unfiltered sound, the song transported us to our home away from home; our go-to local venue.
Things subtly begin to get a bit more upbeat and soul-focused when we get to the second track ‘Control’. This track had a great sense of groove, and we imagine that if we shared the same space with Bain as she was performing this, we would undoubtedly be on our feet, and vibing with the warmth that this sound offers.
Following this, is the aforementioned cover of ‘Blade Runner’, which adds a bit more of a grounded edge to the previous single, which vouched for a more atmospheric sound. Nevertheless, this version of the track still had more than enough serenity to touch our hearts.
Closing this project off is fittingly titled ‘At The End’. And here, we arguably have the most bright, upbeat, and soulful sound that had us just as engaged as we would’ve been if this song was being played right before our eyes. It truly feels like a brilliantly triumphant ultimatum to this awesome EP.
But honestly, a project like We Are, is one that feels more valuable than ever in times like these, where the atmosphere and joy brought to us by live and local music is deeply and sorely missed. We definitely felt that this EP revitalised our sense of knowing what that feels like, and we honestly cannot thank Ysabel Bain enough for that.
Make sure to connect with Ysabel Bain
