In a similar vein to Liz Horsman, Natalie McCool’s sound is sweet yet mature; it’s hard to believe that she’s only in her early twenties, and ‘Shoot Shoot’ is a glorious little opener for this, her debut EP of the same name. Brilliant melodies and balanced harmonies gather ground, pace and strength, but still its power is somewhat understated – so much so it’s damn-near perfection.
‘Prophecy’ is even sweeter and slower in tempo than ‘Shoot Shoot’ and rather string heavy, giving it a far more emotive and stirring air, combined with a chiming quality to the vocals this time. ‘Prophecy’ ends with a gorgeous stringed section, drawing to an abrupt but heavenly close.
The vocals are very much at the forefront on the final track, ‘Little End’. Once again the vocals are sugar-sweet, combined with the simple, understated melodies. It’s only let-down is the swearing that really does sound as though it’s just thrown in – throwing the atmosphere off balance. Is it bitter honesty or is it contrived? Whatever the reason behind it, thankfully it doesn’t spoil the rest of it. What is clear, just from these three tracks alone, is that Natalie McCool is a talented little lady and is definitely one to look out for in the future.
Release date: Out now
[Rating:4]
