Emily-Beth Hill or EB is a couture bedroom pop artist and singer/songwriter from Oxford. This isn’t the first time I’ve reviewed their music either, and you can check that out here. Today however I will be reviewing her EP ‘Celestial Orientation’ which was released on December 17th 2021.
‘Drown with Me’ opens with an almost discordant frenzy of strings that climaxes in a gasp, before flowing into a soft, ambient tonal backing, that supports EB’s partially spoken word delivery, backed up by harmonious choral-like vocals. This track has an off-beat, almost unsettling feel to it, but everything comes together and frankly it’s gripping, you just get overwhelmed by the track. It’s a phenomenal start to the EP. I admire the rawness and potency behind EB’s vocal delivery, it’s impressive how she captures a mood in this track, and displays her feelings unflinchingly.
‘To Drive’ opens with gently plucked strings, which are allowed to rest and reverberate before it is plucked again, before a similar tonal overlay to the previous track comes in. I really like the vocal delivery of this track. This isn’t just saccharine pop music, it has a volatility and energy to it which captures you. I can totally understand why this might be too much, the overlapping voices, harmonising and counterpointing one another, it creates a busy, harshness that just slaps you in the face, and yet somewhere buried within a gentleness to the melody.
‘Regression’ has water droplets creating a nice atmospheric note, which is built on by synthy beats and tones. This starts off slow, with the subtle percussion adding additional depth to the melody. I really think you could get lost in EB’s voice, she displays melancholy really well. The track builds really well, filling and growing, with a fabulous vocal stop about 2 and a half minutes in, which is of course incorporated into the overall melody to create something fabulously textured, and still keeping that almost frenzied feel of the previous two entries.
‘Parallel’ opens softly, building ambient tones that bleed into a rich, vocal section, EB’s voice the most gentle and melodic that it’s been thus far. It has a subtle, synth backdrop that empowers her vocals without overpowering them. I think this track is my favourite, it closes things off well, as you just get caught up in EB’s singing, which is just breathtaking. I particularly liked the overlaid vocals, where she is working with her own voice to create an ever deeper blended vocal compilation.
So that’s what I thought of EB’s EP ‘Celestial Orientation’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. While you’re at it, make sure and support the artist by subscribing to their YouTube and Patreon, and by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
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