Due for release May 26th, we sneak a peek at UK trio Meadowlark’s debut EP, ‘Three Six Five’.
With singer Kate McGill’s caressing, female vocals resembling the likes of Gabrielle Aplin and Nina Nesbitt, a flood of comparisons are surely inevitable. And of course Kate, Carl and Dan are definitely for fans of those guys and you could probably make a pretty Venn diagram of the fan bases of all three. Yet EP opener, ‘Family Tree’, proves that far from being followers, Meadowlark are perfectly capable of carving their own route through the already blooming field of folk pop that said artists have made so popular.
The minimalist set up of piano, strings and elusive, ringing guitar make for a sense of captivating purity but it’s the band’s organic take on a percussive, almost dubstep underlay towards the end of the track that really sparks interest and makes this the EP’s stand out track. Further digressing from any expected comparisons to her predecessors, Kate’s vocal is more Indiana than Aplin here.
Waves of acoustic guitar, piano and drums build up in ripples as second track ‘Forlorn’ widens. Again it’s Kate’s vocal floating along the top and letting us know that “our eyes are forlorn and tired” that creates the perfect combination between folky melancholy and a melody catchy enough to hum along to. And you will. A lot.
‘Sail Away’ and ‘I’ve Got You’ provide a solid dose of perky, folk pop in a more familiar guise. The rustic, barn dance drumbeat and hearty, choral climax of ‘I’ve Got You’ deliver some easy, pleasant listening reminding us that life really ain’t so bad. ‘Sail Away’ is a dreamy mix of echoing, twangy guitars and ‘oohs’ more endearing than those uttered by the aliens in Toy Story.
Meadowlark have got me. And I think they’ll probably have you to.