EP Review: GRACEY - 'Fragile'

GRACEY provides her own take on the suckiness of the modern world with her new ‘Fragile’ EP.

Having garnered high profile support from Radio 1, and written big songs alongside Jonas Blue and others, GRACEY - a shouty mononym for 23-year-old Grace Barker - is proving she’s here to make a positive noise for years to come. In a competitive field, it nice slots in amidst Griff, Anne-Marie, and the many other women taking over pop playlists right now.

Written in a vulnerable state after a break-up, ‘What A Waste’ sets the mood nicely, delivering that dramatic tension in a pop banger over an array of oohs and bold electronics. ‘the internet’ is a friendly rage against the machine that rules us all. The self-confessed Pisces pop star takes on the narration of a vitally important commentary on life in 2021, with a voice that keeps an eternal essence to it while slating this modern world.

Latest single ‘Sad Song’ feels like an anthem in waiting. After GRACEY had a bad experience hearing upbeat pop in a car when she most needed her own sad song, she’s utilised this to make something ideal for when you’re “in a cab for one, got my heartbreak on”. She grew up listening to the car radio, and that emotion comes across in her voice through every mile of that journey. ‘Can’t Be Friends’ is much calmer in comparison, but offers a picture of the vital energy that GRACEY brings to the table.

‘Fragile’ is only four tracks, but each is an insight into the potential provided by the chaos of closure. Not that GRACEY’s journey looks set to finish any time soon.

GRACEY learnt all the best tricks of pop music from listening to the car radio. ‘Fragile’ should hope to inspire the love of pop music in the next generation of travellers and chauffeurs. Here’s hoping they can keep up.

Words by Samuel Draper

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