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An intriguing debut EP here from Hayley Taylor. Co-produced by Taylor and AJ Mogis (who has also worked with Bright Eyes and the Faint) it introduces a voice that is well suited to the kind of folk-leaning acoustic songs that are presented here. The vocals are mellow and understated, and she has a tendency to bend her voice around the notes, which makes for quite a distinctive style of delivery.

The record kicks off with 'Orange Tree,' which sounds like a love song written in a childhood room, the Wurlitzer piano accompaniment sounding like a music box slowly turning in the corner, an impression which is echoed later in the final song 'What Matters Most,' where she sings 'A child waving who turned into a ghost.' Indeed, this EP seems to draw upon a distinct episode of life; the lyrics are very personal and are largely concerned with, often addressed to, a significant other, a feature which constitutes something of a theme for the record.

The second song, 'What I Never Said' is a definite highlight and features some beautifully wistful pedal steel work alongside a folkie finger picked acoustic guitar. The pedal steel continues through to the next song, 'Angel Fallen,' though here it has a more generically country vibe. The song itself has strong verses, with an energetic acoustic rhythm and melodic vocals; however, as with its successor, 'This Is It,' the chorus is rather simple, and in the case of the latter the vocal hook is repeated a little too often. This tendency for vocal repetition is also a feature of ‘Raphael’, though the song has a strong enough melody that this is not too much of an issue. The final offering, 'What Matters Most,' is an emotionally frayed reflection on love and loss that closes the album with a lingering melancholy.

The feel one gets of this record is of emotionally charged but structurally simple compositions which provide ample space for some nice instrumentation, though one is sometimes left wanting a little more density in the songs themselves, a greater variation; nevertheless, as a debut, 'Waking' shows Taylor to be a performer of genuine talent and promise.

Review by: Tom Phillips

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