Wolf And I
4:33And So It Should 3:07
Break Up At The Disco 3:25
Is This A Low? 5:56
Skeletons 3:31
The opening track is 'Wolf and I', the only track I'd heard prior to the release of the EP via the 'I Don't Want to Go Out' sessions that Nerina broadcasts on ustream on Monday nights at 9pm. I had heard the song played on the piano, but the EP version contains spooky electronic backing music, a haunting drum beat and eerie intertwining backing vocals. The first line bears reference to the final track on the EP, a cover of 'Skeletons' originally by Rickie Lee Jones; 'I dream of a song from 1981'. Fans of Nerina didn't find out the true meaning of 'Wolf and I' until September 2010 when Nerina gave birth to a beautiful baby boy nicknamed 'Wolfie', and the lyrics finally revealed a whole new meaning. This song shows a whole new side to Pallot that we have not witnessed before showing thoughts about motherhood, fears during pregnancy and life with child. 'Wolf and I' is such an honest song, and this contributes magnificently to the overall beauty of it. This really is an excellent opening track.
'And So It Should' is the second track on the EP. This is a really wonderful acoustic guitar track, capturing some of the most prominent worries that growing up entails. It is also a tale of wanting more from life. The song begins rather quietly but as Pallot's voice grows stronger, the track brings in piano and backing vocals. 'And So It Should' contains some of Pallot's finest lyrics to date, including 'cast like a stone in the deepest blue, rolling oblivious 'til I came to', and 'blinded by beauty that I have seen, in this world we've never been', and of course, the repeated line that acts as a sort of chorus: 'My heart cries out for more, and so it should'. The lyrics suggest that Pallot is secretly hoping for more from life. I absolutely adore this song; it shows a slightly darker side to Pallot than the album released six months before this EP, 'The Graduate'.
The third track on the EP is the fantastically upbeat 'Break Up At The Disco'. Pop takes over completely in this song, I feel like it's something I ought to have danced to in the 90's. This is my favourite track on the EP for a number of reasons, including the ingenious lyrics. Some of my favourites are 'I don't lose but this ain't winning, take me back to the beginning, I've just about had, just about had just, just about had enough', and 'when I said I was open-minded, what did I know'. Also, the widely used repetition creates a great effect that adds to the excellence of the track. The electronic beat works perfectly with Pallot's strong vocals and this really positive song makes me smile every time. The 'so what?!' attitude that Pallot portrays here gives us a different perspective from her usual sombre and melancholy song-writing; which is a warmly welcomed change. It's almost too good for an EP, and I still have my fingers crossed that it will make Pallot's fourth album. There's a reason why this is one of my top 10 most played tracks on iTunes.
Track 4 on the EP is 'Is This A Low?'. This track is something entirely new that we haven't seen from Pallot before. Nerina herself described this EP as some of her darkest work, and that is displayed overpoweringly in 'Is This A Low?'. What a contrast from the tracks on the 'Junebug' EP and Pallot's third album 'The Graduate'! The strong guitar contrasts with the softer voice that Pallot uses on this track. The lyrics tell a story of depression and low emotions and confusion. This song shows a more experimental side to Pallot's work, demonstrating all sorts of ideas that we have not seen from her before; however it reminds me somewhat of a song that would fit into 'Dear Frustrated Superstar, Pallot's first album quite nicely. The closest song of Pallot's that I could compare it to is 'If I Know You'. A very 'different' track, but beautiful in it's own right.
The final track on the EP is the previously mentioned cover of 'Skeletons' by Rickie Lee Jones. The first word that springs to mind is 'beautiful'. Such beautiful vocals from Pallot, laying on top of delicate piano. This track especially demonstrates Pallot's abilities as a vocalist, as she is not the lyricist here. The song tells the tale of a pregnant woman whose husband gets mistaken for a criminal and shot whilst they are on the way to the hospital to give birth, based on a real story. I believe that this is a track that Nerina would not have been able to put her heart and soul into had she not experienced pregnancy and such worries herself. Such a beautiful track that is so different to Jones' original, but so similar at the same time.
This EP is a masterpiece of creative ideas and insanely brilliant music. This is a great album to listen to if you want to hear something a little different and a lot darker than Nerina's usual music. Recommended to anyone who enjoys music from Nerina Pallot and is interested to hear to new ideas that are presented in this much deeper and darker, but equally brilliant EP.
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