Wildlife Analysis

A lot of people, especially men, tend to shy away from women singer/songwriters. That’s unfortunate because there are some wonderful women making music today. Lately I haven’t been able to stop listening to a British artist named Nancy Elizabeth. She’s a 23 year old artist from Manchester who has an affinity for recording in dramatic settings. She recorded her debut Ep in an old Corinthian style church in two nights. Her most recent album, Battle and Victory, she recorded in a 17 century cottage in rural Wales and a village hall on the outskirts of Manchester. As corny as it sounds, you can really hear the setting in the music. The rural, antique locations lend themselves incredibly well to her rustic brand of folk.

Perhaps the most entrancing aspect of the music is the vocal harmonies. The delicate grandiosity of the track “How Can I Stop” could draw comparisons to post-rock. After all, she is on the leaf label, home of several notable post rock bands like Efterklang and Triosk. “How Can I Stop’s” timid string swells behind harp phrases knit an intricate texture that seems to capture the landscape of a concept. Her vocals stand unharmonized for the first half of the track, making the initial sweep of harmony that much more intense.

My personal favorite track on the album is the first track, “I’m Like the Paper.” the melodic movement of Nancy Elizabeth’s voice swings through the chord changes effortlessly. the harmonies that come in halfway through the track are so natural and haunting that it’s impossible to not be completely memorized by the firm delicacy of her sound. There’s something almost Joanna Newsom-esque about the instrumentation (harp, strings, female voice). Much like Joanna Newsom, Nancy Elizabeth’s Sound is completely unique and completely undeniable.

Nancy Elizabeth – I’m Like the Paper

Nancy Elizabeth – How Can I Stop?