Niall Smith
Unpacking the South London artist's latest project.
Ego Ella May is one of the finest R&B newcomers to flower out of South London. Her breakthrough single, ‘Table For One’, was a breath of fresh air for the UK R&B scene. The track in question married the static, vinyl-bound template of retro neo-soul but framed it with fresh, woozy jazz-centric quirks.
Last Friday, the vocal powerhouse blessed us with her latest EP, FIELDNOTES. Comprised of four tracks, the project revels in classic R&B conventions – ominous weighty basslines, airy synth chords and eye-level accounts of heartache and emotional defeat.
FIELDNOTES opens with ‘Breathe’, a Geordan Reid-Campbell-produced midtempo jam kitted out with underlying social commentary. On the track, May ponders the state of the world and her own stress-laden personal commitments.
A worthy highlight from the project is Flwr Chyld-assisted closer, ‘Speck Of Dust’. The neo-soul-soaked jam session in song form is nothing short of fantastic. From the track’s harmonious bridge to its plucky, organic-sounding instrumental, ‘Speck Of Dust’ is truly a shining example of May’s creative arsenal.
May takes things interstellar as she ponders the state of the universe, tallying up her life problems and comparing them to the endless vacuum of space. She asks the all-important question of “does anything really matter?” over Flwr Chyld’s expertly crafted, silky instrumental.
Watch the video for ‘Yo Yo’ below.