UK post-punk/alternative artist Findlay, aka Natalie Findlay, unveils her latest EP, Stay Kinky, laced with plucky lyrics and nostalgic retro flavors.
Talking about Stay Kinky, Findlay says, “My most unserious body of work, these are the songs I’ve written over this summer that I wanted to get out straight away. I’ve really enjoyed the collaborative process of making this EP, it’s been very different to my last album I made in lockdown which was a pretty isolated experience and with some heavy subject matter. Recently I’ve been back to being in a playful, happy headspace and having a lot of fun making music. These tracks were mostly written between the English countryside and Los Angeles and took a lot of inspiration from those late ‘60s, early ‘70s British and American pop records that are deep in my musical DNA.”
Originally from Stockport, England, Findlay started as a teenager with an acoustic guitar, playing around Manchester. Since then, she’s released a series of singles, EPs, and albums, amassing more than 20 million streams. She’s shared the stage with The Killers, Jake Bugg, and Miles Kane.
Findlay performed at Chanel’s Paris Fashion Week and recently collaborated with Suki Waterhouse. She’s also developed artists like Remy Bond. Along with Jules Appollinare, she formed the band TTRRUUCES. The BBC called TTRRUUCES’s music “mindblowing music.”
Of the seven tracks on Stay Kinky, entry points include “Summer’s Almost Over,” a blues-tinted pop tune harking back to the ‘60s. Dreamy, creamy vocals imbue the lyrics with sweet, charming timbres, simultaneously wistful and evocative.
“Fishbowl” travels on a syncopated rhythm topped by delicate, luminous vocals backed by sunny harmonies, giving the song a delicious almost synth-pop feel. “Eggshells” features a bright, choppy piano and crisp percussion, and then shifts to edgier textures and raspier vocals, infusing the tune with a duality of surfaces.
A personal favorite because of its swaying, bluesy motion, the title track reveals tangs of soft melancholy. Findlay’s syrupy, voluptuous timbres imbue the vocals with gooey, musing tones.
Straight out of the ‘60s, the bright and breezy pop-laden harmonics of “I Always Get What I Want” carry listeners back to an era when sparkling, feel-good melodies ruled. The wonderful lyrics convey the frustration of a coquette who is used to getting her way.
Marinated in retro aromas, Stay Kinky finds Findlay realizing her mastery of vintage pop, and writing lusciously gluey lyrics with flair.
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