Elly Hopkins celebrates our triumphs, our faults and everything else that makes us human on her stirring new EP Animal
A Bristol based artist who’s distinctive and personal alt-country sound is packed full of a gritty rawness and authenticity that strikes a chord with listeners, Elly Hopkins is somebody who feels like a throwback to a time where music was steeped in honesty and reality, with a sound that feels modern and powerful enough to bridge the gap to more contemporary sounds too. Her debut EP Animal is a release that encapsulates the appeal of her approach and a perfect marriage of style and substance that we can’t heap enough praise on.
The EP opens with ‘Cecile’, a slow-burning and bluesy number that does a great job of highlighting the artist’s expressive vocals and the soft swagger to a style that feels captivating while having a dark and grungy edge to its approach. There is a vintage heart to the track that makes for a sound that feels timeless and evergreen, while the depth of a narrative that explores a quiet, creeping jealousy has an ominous tone that adds an extra layer of intrigue.
‘Animal’ follows, a track that has more than its fair share of grit and darkness in its own right, with fuzzy guitars and expressive instrumentation offering a dynamic backdrop to a track that explores the need to revert back to the raw and instinctive side within us in order to rid ourselves of the baggage that follows us around. There is a really quiet power that lurks behind the surface here, and the track feels empowering and fierce without ever having to express it in a loud way.
At the middle point of the EP, we are celebrating our imperfections on ‘Kitsungi’ named after the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery gold, silver, or platinum in order to celebrate its breaks and cracks rather than hiding them away. There is a really propulsive and energetic feel to this track as it progresses, and it does a great job of expressing this need to champion what it is that makes us feel human and real, packing a fiery chorus that has a catchy and hard-hitting appeal.
On ‘Bets’ we see perhaps the most traditionally country and folky nature of Elly’s sound, with an affable and soft soundscape that is packed full of guitars and strings accompanying a sweet and immersive narrative about putting your hope and faith in somebody, making for a track that again shows this vulnerable and human side to the artist that the EP seems to be centred around in moving fashion.
A fun, peppy bassline and a fun, playful feel characterise the EP’s closer ‘One Man Band’, a track that has a freeflowing and uninhibited feel that sweeps you up and takes you on a rousing journey throughout its duration. There is a sass and sense of wit that permeates the track and showcases the more jovial side of the artist’s character and personality, and it continues to flesh out the collection of tracks and make for a three-dimensional listening experience that covers a range of emotions and feelings.
At its core, Animal is a release that seeks to embrace everything that makes us real, honing in on themes like emotions, imperfections and love and celebrating what makes us feel unique and special. In a world where AI seems to be growing increasingly prevalent to a worrying degree, this reminder of what makes ourselves and our heart feel so engaging feels like a breath of fresh air, and the range of ways that the artist expresses these things through her sound ensures that the tracks resonate for a multitude of reasons both in terms of their tone and their creative and ambitious allure.
