The self-titled EP from Swedish singer and producer Becky and the Birds (21 year old Örebro based Thea Gustafsson) is one that roots itself in the intangible and otherworldly. Despite dealing with adult subjects in Die While You Love Me, and the commercial sounding Concept Store, the EP has the feeling of a daydream. Soaring angelic vocals dominate a carefully plotted accompaniment of audio manipulation and vocal samples.
Holding On's cleverly composed track about liberation subverts patriarchy in a very understated way. Alongside its lilting trip hop beat is a nod to more blended R & B sounds as the vocals indicate a bubbling of insurgency. My Man rounds off the EP with a quasi-soul feel that runs alongside chirping vocals emulating a romantic birdsong. The paradoxes of synthesised sounds sit alongside natural rhythms and effects including rain and birds, perhaps as a reminder of our over-reliance on technology (fake) and how we have lost touch with the natural (real) world and should spend a little more time to stop and smell the roses.
Groupie Rating 3/5
