‘Soak’ is the epitome of raw, untamed talent. This EP creates a world of beautiful melodies coupled with delicate and atmospheric guitar playing in to which the listener is instantly absorbed. It has all the gentle qualities of a Damien Rice record and the simple, thought provoking lyrical content of a Tegan and Sara album. In my opinion, there is only one downside of this release – it ends.
“I know there’s monsters in your house / I’ll be your Ghostbuster / and together we’ll get them out / I’m sorry she would not stay.” Bridie employs somewhat infantile metaphors in ‘Trains’ to highlight an incredibly meaningful message to tremendous effect. There is no pretense in this EP (or Soak at all for that matter). She does not have to dance her hands across the fret board and back to compose beautiful music. The instrumentation on each track is hauntingly sparse – an evidently effective technique.
This EP is not overly polished as many acoustic artists tend to opt for in studio releases. Bridie is very young, and is of course operating on a budget. I think that’s what I adore and respect so much about her music. Her voice can warm the heart and simultaneously send shivers down the spine. Lo- Fi recordings partnered with fragile yet firmly delivered tracks are a clear indication into Soak’s VERY unique sound. Magnificently prolific and consistently phenomenal akin to likes of Conor Oberst.
It’s no wonder that Soak has received such a tremendous response to her latest material. After working consistently hard for the last few years in order to develop as a songwriter, she deserves all the wonderful praise she has received from the likes of Huw Stephens (BBC Radio One). The coming months are only going to be further stepping stones from Bridie on her path to success. She is destined for enormous things.
◀ STANDOUT ⁞ Trains ▶
◀ CONNECTION ⁞ Tegan & Sara | Bright Eyes ▶
