“I don’t know what it is.” This line kicks off this intrepid foursome of tracks. Head Space EP is the debut release from Mahalia. This Leicester, UK singer-songwriter has the most gentle and breathy tone I have ever witnessed. Her vocal control and voice are amazing, soulful and full of emotion. Anyone could listen to her sing the most boring of words. But no one will have to, as one of the best parts of this EP is the writing.
Her words could make even the coldest hearts flushed with warmth. And though she’s only a teenager, this fact changes nothing, it’s not as though we could tell from her work on the EP. Or, at least if we tried to, we’d be hard pressed to believe she wasn’t say, in her mid-20s.
From the first to the fourth, the songs change, but the passion and beauty do not — in fact, they only grow. Take for example the line mentioned above, “I don’t know what it is,” which is from the first track called “Let The World See The Light.” At first it seems so simplistic, yet we see that it says so much and is undeniably relatable. In much the same way, the track starts off softly, but as it progresses, it shows more and more vigor.
The three others are every bit as good. As you listen to them, the feeling of complexity and overly-dramatic production — traits we often see in music today — disappears, and we’re left with just Mahalia herself, her vocals stripped down, vulnerable and impassioned. She can sound strong, too, though. On her rendition of the Arctic Monkeys’ “Mardy Bum” she lushly asks us to remember the best moments in the face of the worst, a feat that’s extremely difficult to achieve when one can only currently see disappointment and anger.
Her music is slightly reminiscent of Adele mixed with a female version of Andrew Belle. But Mahalia has a style and feel all her own, which will probably develop and mature even further with time. Each song has a beautiful message of love and emotion, easily allowing us to fall in love with her sound and her storytelling ability. Listen below and you’ll see.
Mahalia’s Head Space EP is currently available for purchase for on her Bandcamp page and also through iTunes.
