Ally Cribb reflects on the turbulence of youthful love with her second EP release, Now.

By Graeme Smith

Feature photo by Matthew Guido

The music of Toronto, Canada-based pop singer songwriter Ally Cribb has been featuring on our pages since the end of 2022 when I shared her debut EP Unbroken.

Now is the follow up to that EP and explores Ally’s life from eighteen and into her early 20s, and the emotional turbulence that comes from romance in that period in our lives. Unlike Unbroken, Ally is the solo writer on all five tracks on Now, meaning we get a deeply personal record.

Things open with the gentle folk pop of the EP’s title track. Licks of guitar pair nicely with Ally’s soft and compelling vocals, meaning we get a timeless sound that mixes classic song writing and modern pop. A building chorus proves to be an early highlight thanks to its slow groove and memorable melody. It’s a strong start.

Holding Out for You strips things back with a delicate acoustic moment which gives plenty of space to the track’s heart-breaking story. Things develop into a Taylor Swift-esque pop chorus. Boy That I Knew continues in the same vein but strikes a more consolidatory tone. Know Better turns the heartbreak into anger as Ally moves past it. Not This Time closes the EP in slow burning style. Ally’s lyrics are philosophical during a stripped-back first verse before the track comes into life in a chorus that’s full of catharsis.

With her new EP, Ally invites us into her world and shows us her heart. The result is a collection that feels strongly relatable. All the while, familiar instrumentals keep things catchy and emotional. It’s five tracks of perfect pop.

Now was produced by Toronto-based Igor Vrabac. It’s out now via Akashic Rekords, distributed by Universal Music Group. You can check it out below.