aaamusic | On 18, Oct 2010

Apples may be conventional in many ways (girl with an acoustic guitar), but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The whole EP has a very natural sound – the fact that it was recorded in a living room rather than a studio no doubt plays a big part in this. The result is a record that feels neither over-produced nor cheap – it’s got just the right amount of intimacy, and at times you’ll genuinely feel like Sophie Mac is singing directly to you. As aforementioned, the EP is pretty traditional in its musical style: an obvious comparison one could draw is between Mac and Emmy The Great. Though their vocals are admittedly somewhat alike (delicate, understated), writing every female vocalist off as identical because of a few similarities is ridiculous – the fact is, Mac has a lot going on of her own. It may essentially be simple anti-folk, but it avoids the common pitfalls of tedium and repetition, and should be applauded for doing so. Mac has proved she has the ability to create a compelling sound with her voice alone – let’s hope her upcoming full-length is as successful.

Author: Katharine Sparks