EP REVIEW: What You Made Me – Cindy-Louise
Having released her debut album Humanity in 2020 to critical acclaim, South-African born singer-songwriter CINDY-LOUISE has taken a little while to follow it up with her new EP What You Made Me. Originally trained in classical music and majoring in Musical Philosophy, she has the ability to make switching between different musical styles look easy, with her debut album seamlessly blending pop and rock. Having also been a part of the Mediterranean Opera Festival Program in Italy, this new three-track EP shows off some of her best vocal work and has an interconnected narrative about anxiety, societal expectations and self-wellbeing.
Innocence instantly grabs the listener’s attention with CINDY-LOUISE‘s hypnotic operatic vocals. Backed only by a simple guitar riff and drum beat, her voice takes centre stage. Whether she is unleashing some powerful screams or angelic notes, there is no denying that CINDY-LOUISE is someone special. There are even some synths thrown into the mix near the end of the song that – thanks to the production – do not take away from the experience.
The EP itself is just under ten minutes long, so it does unfortunately go by quite fast. But CINDY-LOUISE uses this to her advantage. Whilst the title track does slow things down pacing wise, it feels natural. The stripped-back electronic-rock backing track shows a natural progression from the first song, and it makes the three-minute runtime feel longer than it is. Furthermore, the backing screams that are mixed in hint at what CINDY-LOUISE might be capable of doing next.
Closer Nothing Hurts Anymore is a harsh, angry rock song that has heavy instruments and powerful vocals. The only issue is that it does end a little abruptly due to the short runtime. On the other hand, by leaving hints in previous songs about what is to come, this change in direction doesn’t seem so out of place. The entire EP works because of the care and attention to detail that it has been given. Perhaps it could have used an extra song or at least a little more to the closing track, but then again, this EP is about emotions and life. Sometimes things do end abruptly and without warning. In that case, this EP is outstanding.
Overall, What You Made Me is a fantastic EP. It is a concise record and each song flows into the next one well even as the pace and feel varies from one to the next. The production is great too, and whilst the closing song does have a bit of an abrupt finish, the instruments and CINDY-LOUISE‘s powerhouse vocals more than make up for it. If you have never heard of CINDY-LOUISE, then now is the time to change that.
Rating: 8/10
What You Made Me is set for release on February 2nd via self-release.
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