Soulful singer Jamie Isaac is releasing his debut EP I Will Be Cold Soon on June 24 via House Anxiety/Marathon Artists, and we’ve got a first spin of EP cut ‘Can See (Part 1)’ – have a listen below:
‘Can See (Part 1)’ is a softly echoing piano ballad that showcases Isaac’s haunting voice perfectly. As the piano chords fall with weight throughout each bar, an atmospheric reverb builds over Isaac’s lyrics on emotional confusion and disillusionment. Although the track comes tantalisingly close to reaching a crescendo, it never quite gets there, instead carrying its emphasis in the regular ups and downs of the tripping vocals and scattered piano. Eventually, as the track draws to a close and Isaac states his final line, the initially punctuated piano opens out into a broad wash of sound, creating a soporific and subtle close.
It follows the video for another track from the EP, ‘Softly Draining Seas’, that Isaac released yesterday, which you can watch below:
The video, directed by Major Lazer associate Ferry Gouw, begins with Isaac submerged in the titular water while the track swamps under its opening soft piano chords. He then goes on to wander around The Barbican and other modernist buildings in London, slowly moving from the grey of the urban cityscape to the verdant sunshine of a forest, reflecting the aquatic ebb and flow of the track as his vocals swoon over the repeated piano and quietly clicking percussion. Finally the video comes full circle, returning to the abstract images of the water and city lights as the track washes out into instrumentals.
