Mia Riddle
Tender EP
‘Caretaker’ is the briefest of sparkly tunes, with a sound that’s half way between a xylophone and a metallophone or maybe it’s a combination of the two that creates the warmth of the former and the clarity of the latter. It’s a bit like an unplugged version of Radiohead’s ‘No Surprises’ without any guitars.
However, the guitar-caressing intro to ‘Both Ways’ hints at those Brazilian peddlers of alternative-indie; Drugstore. Carefully plucked guitars morph into crunchy chords as the vocal explores the complicated melody.
‘California’ is the sound of the guitar on the wagon as it bounces its way through the long grass, kicking up a trail of dust. The lyrics long for the sunny weather of the golden state, although Mia’s snow-white complexion would need some special protection against all that nasty UV!
The Dirty Pretty Things are brought to mind with the spiky guitar riff of ‘Too Late’ and the vocal melody is akin to the kind of jazzy lines you’d find in Chicago.
‘Tender’ finally makes its appearance at the end of the EP and it’s a fair title to accompany the delicacy shown in both the guitars and the soft vocal.
Mia Riddle is something rather special. The songs are moving, delicate and perfectly balanced between melancholy and inspiring, and the vocal is a beautiful thing too!
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Written by Fenton on
