The rising artist showcases the most personal and vulnerable side of her sound on her thoughtful sophomore EP Now
Following the breakout success of her debut EP Unbroken, rising Toronto artist Ally Cribb has looked to continue to build momentum and steam with the release of her sophomore offering Now, a collection of tracks that the artist wrote to capture and document her transition from a teen to her early 20s and the uncertainty and emotional turbulence that comes with such a time in your life.
The EP opens with the gorgeous tones of its title track ‘Now’, a track that sees the artist battling with a breakup and an aftermath that has left her missing somebody. There is a real softness and tenderness to the sound, as immersive guitars sit alongside lyrics looking back at memories and regrets, immediately setting the tone for a thoughtful and poignant EP that is packed full of catchy and enticing moments.
‘Holding Out for You’ is a track that continues with a similar theme, with the artist still finding herself lamenting the situation and hoping that things will somehow get better and go back to normal. The instrumentation here has a bit more of a rousing and optimistic feel at times to its predecessor, and the impassioned tone of the vocals feels revitalising and powerful.
The thing that feels most striking about the EP throughout is how personal and moving it feels throughout, going from writing with co-writers on her first release to writing this one completely alone, and this is something that works in the artist’s favour here throughout. ‘Boy That I Knew’ and ‘Know Better’ are two tracks that have this personal and heartfelt edge to them, with the former seeing the artist looking back the person that she was with, now with a sense of acceptance that she doesn’t know that person anymore, and the latter track seeing her looking back at the lessons that she has heard from the whole experience. The intimate and vulnerable writing makes these tracks feel raw and real throughout and pack a really emotional punch, leaving a really resonating edge on you as a listener.
The thoughtful ‘Not This Time’ closes out the EP and is a track that is packed full of the artist’s distinctive charm and appeal, again thanks to how raw and earnest her writing and vocals feel. This track feels like a full circle moment for the EP, with the acceptance of the breakup and things not being right fully setting in and the artist seeming to have grown in maturity and knowing that it is time to walk away. The track builds in a really rewarding way, and narratively it feels like a fitting and truly satisfying conclusion to a collection of tracks that explore this narrative in a way that feels immersive and engrossing throughout.
