Brisbane based acoustic singer-songwriter Angharad Drake often to me feels like she’d be best placed in the vast American plains. There’s often a southern country twang hidden in her music but it would take away from her unmistakable Aussie charm too. Australians have a penchant for making heartbreaking acoustic rock and Drake certainly pulls that off too.
Across her new EP, it is often just Angharad and her guitar. She often doubles up her soft voice and then adds some very quiet embellishments behind a simple melody. The opener ‘Start Again’ which is where the EP title comes from is a cathartic and gently warm arm around the shoulder. Warning you with advice on one hand but feeling safe with the other, its quiet optimism shines through. ‘Big Dog’ on the other hand is world-weary. The monotone vocal delivery, chugging guitar and stompy punch drum channels that weariness like daily sludge. ‘Loved By You’ is my favourite track from the EP with its sliding chord scale, drifting vocals and echoing electric guitar strums. It feels bluesy yet dramatic and understated at the same time. It leaves the closer ‘Downtown’ to provide a more anthemic rock closer. There’s a hint of Parisian rock in there somewhere but there’s also a bit of 90’s alt-rock angst there too.
Whilst I’d recommend starting with her album ‘Ghost’, this EP is a solid introduction to the soft and cynical world of Angharad Drake. This EP focuses on some of her lighter, more whimsical side. It is a beautiful treat for fans and lovers of acoustic focused singer-songwriter rock.
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Angharad Drake - Better Grow Up
