Track Of The Day: Smoothboi Ezra – ‘Stuck’

A tender, lo-fi offering that explores the struggle of feeling emotionally stunted or unable to communicate in an unsteady relationship, Irish multi-instrumentalist & producer Smoothboi Ezra has shared their latest single ‘Stuck’. Taken from their upcoming EP of the same name, which is set for release on 11th June, the track is a poignant meditation on the reluctance we encounter when facing the end of our romantic involvement with someone.

“‘Stuck’ is a song about being in a relationship with someone you care a lot about but you know it’s not going to work out,” Ezra explains “It’s an unsaid mutual agreement that you can feel the relationship ending but you’re both waiting on the other person to end it.” Ezra balances these emotional tensions via soft vocals, raw lyricism and gently plucked guitar strings.

As a gender non-conforming artist who is also on the autism spectrum, Ezra offers a different perspective on heartbreak and emotional intelligence, creating captivating, bittersweet soundscapes to contemplate the struggles of everyday life to. At the age of just 19, their talent for writing charming songs about personal growth is humbling and highly impressive.

Watch the video for ‘Stuck’ below.

Follow Smoothboi Ezra on bandcamp, Spotify, Twitter, Instagram & Facebook

Photo Credit: Leon McCulloughl

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Eliza Shaddad – ‘Heaven’

Sudanese-Scottish artist Eliza Shaddad has kept busy since last year: along with weekly Instagram live streams over the last year, she is releasing her third single of 2021, ‘Heaven’, which is a stirring anthem for anyone struggling. 

Written whilst Eliza was visiting family in hospital and then later in lockdown, the single and accompanying video are a poignant reminder that life can get better and is worth holding on to. Recorded at home in Cornwall, ‘Heaven’ has a different sound to her last single (‘Blossom’), whilst maintaining the theme of hope and fresh beginnings. It has twangy guitars and a contemporary Country–pop sound, perfectly carrying Eliza’s searing vocals, as she urges us to “keep holding on”…

Within seconds you will find yourself on a familiar sonic territory as you tap your feet along, imagining yourself on the open highway, singing this song with the wind blowing through your hair. ‘Heaven’ is a song about the recovery of faith in life or love. Both a call to hope and a plea to keep going, this uplifting song will carry us to the warm embrace of the upcoming summer sun.


‘Heaven’ is out now via Rosemundy Records/Wow and Flutter. It’s the lead single to be taken from Eliza Shaddad’s upcoming album The Woman You Want, set for release 16th July.

Fi Ni Aicead
@gotnomoniker

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WATCH: Penelope Trappes – ‘Fur & Feather’

Inspired by Celtic mythology, the on-going journey towards self-autonomy and a sense of inner peace, Australian-born Brighton-based artist Penelope Trappes has shared her latest single ‘Fur & Feather’. Taken from her upcoming album Penelope Three, which is set for release on 28th May via Houndstooth, the track is a deeply soothing listen led by tentative keys and Trappes’ beguiling vocals.

“I wrote ‘Fur & Feather’ after becoming inspired by the Celtic tale of The Selkie, which is about ‘homing’ – returning to a sense of self,” Trappes explains about the track. “I found this treasure within the well-known book Women Who Run With Wolves by Dr. Clarissa Pinkes Estés. In preparation for the inevitable day that my sole daughter would leave home after 18 years, I carried a great sense of bittersweet loss in my heart. The Selkie reminded me of how I always knew the time would come when I’d be physically and emotionally alone and because of this I have always kept my own identity intact.”

Accompanied by a beautifully shot self-directed video in collaboration with art collective Agnes Haus, ‘Fur & Feather’ sees Trappes find contentment in a spiritual and physical sense, exploring lush woodlands as her calm vocals act like a deep exhale, dispersing her fears of loneliness and reassuring herself that the inevitability of change can be embraced and enjoyed with the right mindset.

Watch the video for ‘Fur & Feather’ below.

Follow Penelope Trappes on bandcamp, Spotify, Instagram, Twitter & Facebook

Photo Credit: Agnes Haus

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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Track Of The Day: Hearts Beating In Time – ‘Death Is Cancelled’

Honesty and vulnerability graciously emote as Malta’s alt-pop Rebecca Theuma – aka Hearts Beating In Time – shares her latest sparkling single, ‘Death Is Cancelled’. Melodic tones arpeggiate as the track opens and presents a scene for reflection: a world that is spinning as its viewer attempts to digest all that is around them. 

With themes of sadness for society at large, yearning for one another and the battle against mental lethargy, ‘Death Is Cancelled’ takes us on a journey that will seem familiar to many right now. Moments reminiscent of ’80s synth-pop trickle throughout the track with a nostalgic energy, juxtaposed with the contemporary subject matter that emanates as so poignant today. 

The impact of ‘Death Is Cancelled’ is immediate. Between its bubbling danceable melodies, and its echoing vocals that draw you in with a soaring earnest confession, it builds to a captivating, multidimensional experience. 

With a gentle softness that delivers such extravagant moments, it’s evident that Hearts Beating In Time has a knack for existing in more than one place. ‘Death Is Cancelled’ is an ode to the struggles of being an empathetic person in today’s world, brought to us by twinkling sonic sounds of the past. This track serves as a celebration for all the beauty that comes between now and then, and the beauty that will continue to come in our futures.

Of the track, Theuma explains:

“To me this song is a celebration of life and death, and the love in between. It is a song to dance to when the abyss opens up in front of you, and you’re dancing with the people you love the most as it consumes you. I like to call it the existential anthem of my life.”

Watch the new video for ‘Death Is Cancelled’ here:

‘Death Is Cancelled‘ is out now via Reckless Yes. It’s taken from Hearts Beating In Time’s upcoming album Songs For Girls.

Jill Goyeau
@jillybxxn

Photo Credit: Leo Chircop

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