Indie Light

Elba Rose is a Brighton based alt-pop artist, who I came across over on Instagram a few weeks ago. Today, I’ll be reviewing her EP ‘Live Wire’ which was released October 12th 2023.

‘Live Wire’ opens with soft chords perfectly supporting Elba’s voice, deep and smoky and potent in a way that fills you up inside. I only had to hear a few seconds of this track and I knew I was hooked. It has darkness and depth, pathos and yet a quirky energy and vibe that really made it work for me. I especially liked the horns and other musical flairs, they could easily seem discordant with the overall track but honestly they blended together really well creating a track that is memorable and lingers with you when it’s done. 

‘Fleeting Fickle’ has a slower build, light percussive notes blended together with other ambient electronic sounds, before Elba’s vocals bleed in, lighter and brighter this time but still sensational. I seem to be on fine form lately, as since our big rebrand every artist selected for review has had that special something, an almost ephemeral note that really works for me and Elba is no different, as her music seems perfectly suited for me. It’s got darkness and depth, it’s got irregular melodies but it’s still catchy and overall I cannot speak highly enough of the artist or this EP. 

‘Playing Pretty’ is another slower build, reverberant tones build up the melody, a heavier percussive backing that blends well with her rich vocals and you just fall into the song. I’ve said it plenty of times before but music is an experience, and I love being able to put in my earphones and just let a track wash over me, my own personal soundtrack. Elba’s music has that movie quality, you can feel its intensity and poignancy and could feel how it could fit perfectly into a movie. 

‘Blood Bath’ has a faster build, higher energy, an almost synthy video game vibe, or like the intro to Stranger Things, but regardless of backing, it supports Elba’s voice perfectly. I think after listening to the whole EP, and what a tremendous release it has been, that this might be my personal favourite on the track. Whether it’s the synthy vibe upfront or the strong vocal performance, or something harder to pin down, I just loved this track, and it’s been an excellent closer to a release that’ll be sure to have me keeping my eyes out for the performer in the future. 

So that’s what I thought of Elba Rose’s EP ‘Live Wire’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Spotify. While you’re at it, make sure and support the artist by following them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.