Smoothboi Ezra - Stuck

“The worst year of your life started when you met me / You say I shouldn’t take it personally,” sings Smoothboi Ezra, on ‘Stuck’, in a deft but devastating manner that seems to encapsulate the Irish teen’s talent perfectly. Despite being just 19 years old, the songwriter and multi-instrumentalist has already proven themselves to be an emotional force, channeling the intricate but powerful work of influences such as Angel Olsen, Elliot Smith and Phoebe Bridgers. It’s on this four-track EP that they continue that journey; still nodding to those influences, but this time broadening their sonic palette to include fuzzy guitars and warm instrumentation. From the near-whispered reflectiveness of ‘You’ to the profound, country-esque ‘Palm Of Your Hand’, each of the EP’s tracks are intensely evocative, but in the most satisfying way. If this is the work Smoothboi Ezra’s producing so early in their career, the next steps will be undoubtedly more powerful.