Rousing opener Riverside is a signal that Elsie and the Vibe is an exhilarating soul artist to be reckoned with. Everything about this nostalgic tune is electrifying – from its propulsive guitar chord strikes to its blaring horn sections, to Elsie’s absolutely thrilling belting in the song’s chorus.
With incredibly tight, soulful instrumentation, Elsie’s voice is the highlight. Her voice is charming and playful on the delightful Stop. Her wide-ranging vocals are consistent and don’t waver under the pressure of her vocal acrobatics. The intoxicating duet between bass and lead guitar on Take Me compliment Elsie’s fierce vocals. This is also a great component that must be stressed about the EP – it’s utter, catchy fun. This is proven further on EP standout, Just Don’t, which has a chorus hook that is hilariously memorable.
The EP’s atmosphere completely takes a 180 on the cripplingly, beautiful closer, Naked. With her lyrics as exposed as her voice against a small string section and her piano, the ballad explores confidence and beauty standards with grace and elegance. If anything, this closer exemplifies just how talented Elsie is, showing how fully in control of her vocals she is.
