Isabelle Brown - 'Places'

Isabelle Brown is back with her first release since her debut mixtape ‘Only Having a Laugh!!’ which was released in February via her new label True Panther Sounds.

‘Only Having a Laugh!!’ was a strong debut release for Isabelle Brown, considering that all of the songs were written when she was twelve – to have such a powerful sense of voice and the ability to pen such timeless songs, at such a young age, really sets Brown apart. The songs on the mixtape range in genre from having old school hip-hop elements meshed with jazz, to neo-soul and R&B. Brown’s new single ‘Places’ follows on from the neo-soul/jazz elements of the mixtape and showcases a new depth of soulful maturity in her voice. 

‘Places’ is about “somewhere that you don’t have to pretend to be someone you’re not; where you are loved and accepted and can be who you want to be.” There’s an air of self-confidence that comes with the easy flow of the song and it makes Brown feel like an old soul. The combination of a jazzy piano paired with a catchy bass line makes me feel as though Brown might just be the modern day Erykah Badu. Her velvet tones and subtle gravelly intonation make it difficult to see Brown as a fifteen-year-old, until the song ends with her giggling and clapping about the breakdown, clearly chuffed with herself.

Isabelle Brown is definitely going to be one to watch, as all the new musicians break in 2019.

Words by Tyler Damara Kelly