Tanya Goltz is an artist who has experienced a lot in her short life, from leaving home at 15 to her dedicated work as a social worker. She’s also a fantastic musician, specialising in the country/Americana genres, showing that Australian’s can make music of this genre just as well as Americans! Her new EP, Pieces Of Me, is something extremely special – find out more below!
By Jane Howkins
Opener No One Wins is a fantastic start to the record, opening with a bluesy guitar lick that oozes attitude. The main melody runs through the tune against the upbeat rhythm section, as Tanya belts her introspective lyrics out in wonderful style. There’s also an organ that appears on occasion, adding a bit of a retro vibe into this catchy folk-rocker.
Dead of Night is a very different beast, having a much slower tempo than the opening track. It starts out slowly, as the spidery guitar licks creep over the listener, allowing Tanya’s stunning vocals to truly shine through. The chorus elevates things a little, ensuring the track creates variety, whilst also keeping the same brooding atmosphere that makes this song sound so good!
Steal My Soul is another mid-tempo tune, although it still has the same melancholic folk/Americana sound that characterises Tanya’s music so well. The guitar arpeggios are absolutely amazing to behold, showing just how amazing the production quality is here. Tanya’s vocals rise up higher on the chorus, soaring to new heights and displaying how wonderful her vocal range really is.
Sketches has a much more positive vibe, starting out with some unique sounding guitar motifs. It’s more of a traditional ballad than the other songs on Pieces Of Me, creating a nice change within the music. Tanya uses the dynamics incredibly well here, going from slower verses into heavier choruses, keeping the listener constantly guessing.
Title track Pieces Of Me is also the closing song on the EP. In terms of tone and ambience, it’s quite similar to Sketches, seeing Tanya use a range of lovely guitar arpeggios and notes to accentuate her vocals perfectly. The chorus takes on an unexpected chord change, but it works surprisingly well, showing an artist not afraid to try new things!
Pieces Of Me is a cracking record and one that Tanya Goltz should be extremely proud of! There’s enough here to appeal across the genre board, although those into their Americana, folk and country should find more to love.
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