Music Review: Wildflowers by Lissy Taylor

Wildflowers is the debut EP from British singer-songwriter Lissy Taylor. Currently based in Manchester Lissy Taylor started writing songs in the US but moved to the UK in 2017 to study songwriting.

In 2019 Lissy performed over 20 shows, including a full UK support tour, huge headlines and a few appearances at festivals. This all amounted to great press coverage with her Wildflowers single being named the BBC introducing track of the week. She has also seen critical acclaim from Clash Magazine, Indie Midlands and Amazing Radio.

Now in 2020, Lissy has released the introductory single Mayday, which following from a great response the Wildflowers EP was released.

Mayday was Lissy’s first release of the year and is the opening track for Wildflowers. The track instantly grabs your attention with a huge opening and raspy vocals which have a quality to them which is almost otherworldly.

Folky inflexions can be heard throughout Mayday and these add to making the track feel warm and full. The twangy guitars are as consistent throughout as the steady drumbeat and they work together to create a sound which is inviting.

The ending of the songs comes round to a riveting build of instrumentation and vocals for one last chorus. These slowly fade away and lead seamlessly into the EP’s second track.

Before you even have a chance to realise that the first track is over the second begins. High has the exact same feel to it as Mayday and the two work together as what feels like one piece of music.

The instrumentation of this track has a more pared-back feeling with a constant ebb and flow. This works perfectly with Lissy’s sultry vocal tone which works to gently lure you further into the song.

Next up is the EP’s namesake Wildflowers. By this point, I am genuinely impressed with how well each track fits together.

This track has a more upbeat vibe which gives the EP a youthful injection of light and innocence. Although this is still paired with Lissy’s smokey sultry vocals, however, this contrast is what makes this track so interesting.

It feels impossible to feel anything but happiness when listening to this track, although it is not necessarily the happiest track I have ever heard that youthful feeling is again at play. This brings a feeling of hope to both the track and the EP.

Closing the EP is Hold Me Forever. Lissy’s vocals are accompanied solely by lightly strummed acoustic guitars and a soft guiding drum beat. The more subdued track acts as a gentle closer for the EP and for me perfectly encapsulates every thought and emotion we have heard so far.

Wildflowers is an impressive debut EP with each song flowing seamlessly into the next to create what feels like one piece of music. The overall sound and emotion of the EP showcases Lissy’s storytelling talents and gives Wildflowers as a whole a slight cinematic feel.

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