Lily Garland – ‘The Next Chapter’ EP Review – Nick Cantwell
Lily Garland is one of our favourite artists at Belles and Gals and last year we nominated her debut EP “Time to Fly” as one of our EP’s of the year. We were therefore delighted when we heard that Lily was releasing her second EP “The Next Chapter” (out on Friday 16th) and here is our review!
The EP starts with ‘Queen of the World’ and the twangy guitar in the introduction to the song immediately had me on board. This is just a great opener, where you feel fully on the side of the lady in the song who has had it tough but is fighting back – the vocals are just great and the added feistiness in Lily’s voice towards the end of the song just grabs you with both hands.
‘He’s Not the One’ has a real soulful feel and shows another side to Lily’s talent. As you can probably work out from the title, this is a song about a guy who just isn’t right and you can imagine playing this song loud in the summer, with a drink in your hand.
‘Save Me’ is a great country rock number, where the singer is struggling to break free from a relationship both mentally and emotionally. While heavy on the guitar, there is a brilliant moment in the song which is stripped back and shows Lily at her most vulnerable, her emotional vocal just perfect.
‘I’ll Never Break Your Heart’ drops the pace and is a song about finding that special person who makes you grow. I’m not a songwriter myself, but I imagine it’s a lot tougher to write a happy love song than a sad one, but Lily Garland has done a brilliant job here.
We featured ‘I’m Coming For You’, the EP’s final track, back at the end of April. As you can see from the video below, this is a track where Lily Garland is full of attitude and this closing number brings it all together – great production, great vocals and a great song.
There is little doubt that Lily Garland is a rising force on the UK country scene. Her first EP was simply brilliant, but it is more than clear that Lily has raised her game. ‘The Next Chapter’ sees Lily with a range of songs and a confidence of delivery that will surely take her to the next level. Catch Lily Garland at Parr St. Liverpool this Saturday – you’ll be in for one hell of a treat. http://www.wegottickets.com/event/401782
Review written by Nick Cantwell
