American singer songwriter mia van de loo first came to my attention at the end of last month thanks to her debut single fairytale. Not resting on her laurels, she’s already back on the blog, this time with the release of her debut EP on which fairytale features. It’s called open book.

By Graeme Smith

We all go through a period in our lives when we start to become aware of our place in the world. That was where mia was when she wrote this collection of songs. Strong emotion is expressed across its five tracks, giving us highs, lows and everything in between.

The EP opens with the aforementioned fairytale. It provides a dreamy and unconventional start. Mia’s vocals are beautifully isolated in the first verse, accompanied simply by plucked strings. She has a voice with which you will instantly fall in love, and her lyrics are poetically gripping. As the track proceeds, the arrangement grows with heady layers. It’s a masterful welcome into her world.

Match ups the tempo with a vibrant, percussive arrangement rich with imagery. Genre-wise it’s wonderfully undefinable. Doll brings with it some cantering, strummed strings and a slightly eerie atmosphere. Its mix of classic and modern elements gives it a timeless quality that makes it a highlight.

Goodbye Friend opens stripped-back and melancholic before building to a cathartic pop chorus. Lullaby then closes the EP with a suitably calming number. Mia’s vocals take on a particularly captivating quality during this final chapter. It’s another highlight that will give you goosebumps.

What a revelation mia van de loo is! Open book is perhaps the strongest debut EP I’ve heard. It’s beautifully coherent with some sublimely subtle variation across its five track. A fantastic wordsmith and incredible singer, mia has to go down as one of my favourite discoveries of the year.

Open book was produced and mixed by Laiko. Fairytale was mastered by Eric Lagg. You can give the EP a listen below.