EP Review: Annabel Allum - 'Gravel Not The Grave'

There’s something about Annabel Allum that doesn’t seem to slow down. From her snarling lyrics to the persistent instrumentation that is perfectly timed to judge the emotions of the listener; Allum’s latest EP ‘Gravel Not The Grave’ sees her approaching her definitive sound and tapping into the delivery with more confidence than ever.

From start to finish, you’re placed into a journey of self-discovery and affirmation. Accepting change is a difficult thing, but once you’ve established a strong place within yourself, sometimes it is exactly what you’ve been needing. Allum’s voice is a wavering beacon in the night.  A shaky rope that you want to grab out to for some kind of stability whilst treading treacherous water, in ‘Time to Go/Estivaton’. It is in ‘Baby Berlin’ and ‘You Got It Good’ where we see Allum approaching the songs with calming swagger and confidence

Despite the two halves of the EP being recorded a few months apart, there’s a distinct kind of bleeding into songs which feels as though they were all written around the same time, or at least around the same subjects – the exploration of strength, and growth. ‘When the Wind Stops’ is that cyclic questioning that we go through as we contemplate the quality of our existence: “have you ever been where you wanted to / have you ever taken what you wanted to / have you ever seen what you wanted to / have you ever felt what you wanted to?”

There’s a certain magic in Allum starting out the EP powerfully, and slowly shedding the instrumentation to end with the acoustic ‘Not Where You Pretend You Are’. We’ve a wealth of songs to keep up happy on the Annabel Allum front, but this EP certifies that it will only get better.

Words by Tyler Damara Kelly

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