We’re continuing our walk-through some of 2020's most memorable releases. Today, we’re excited to explore nine EPs that have impressed us over the course of the last twelve months. Have a deep dive into some of our favourite EPs below.
Sinead O'Brien – Drowning in Blessings
Irish poet and performer Sinead O’Brien took her time with Drowning in Blessings and her hard work and patience paid off. O’Brien is in a league of her own — what she presents transcends the boundaries of genre and labels. Listening to Drowning in Blessings gives listeners a floating feeling reminiscent of an out-of-body experience of sorts. You can’t help but feel fully focussed on every word and observation that she makes about people and the world surrounding her. O'Brien's debut release is without a doubt one of the best EPs to be released in recent years.
The Ninth Wave – Happy Days!
Following in the footsteps of a debut album as impressive as Infancy isn’t an easy thing to do, but The Ninth Wave were able to create something equally as memorable and truly beautiful. Happy Days! still has the raw and moving lyrics we heard on Infancy but sonically the Glasgow band embraced an experimental approach — resulting in a collection of tracks that are distinct yet cohesive. They took a risk with their 2020 EP and it led to a stunning collection of six exceptional tracks.
Oracle Sisters – Paris I
With their debut EP Paris I, Paris-based Oracle Sisters breathe in the world around them and the various creative outlets that inspire them and turn them into six magical tracks. In testing times and a year that’s been tedious and repetitive for many people around the world, Oracle Sisters invite you into another world — one that’s both dreamy and whimsical. Their spellbinding offering is the reminder we need that it’s okay to hit the pause button from time-to-time and allow your imagination to run wild.
Walt Disco – Young Hard and Handsome
Over the past eighteen months, the up-and-comers from Glasgow have been wowing music lovers from all over with their fearless anthems and their takes on self-expression and identity. Their EP Young Hard and Handsome encapsulates everything they’re about and so much more. There are thunderous and all-consuming numbers like ‘Hey Boy (You’re One of Us)’ and ‘Cut Your Hair’, but they also embrace their tender side with the romantic and melancholic ‘Heather’. Their momentous debut EP is only the beginning for Walt Disco, get ready to be talking a lot more about them in 2021.
Lynks – Smash Hits, Vol 1
An icon in the making, Lynks first caught our attention after ’Str8 Acting’, and since then, we’ve been obsessed. Featuring six addictive earworms (including ‘Pandemic!’ as a bonus track), Lynks gives listeners everything they could possibly want. And if you want to experience the magic of Smash Hits, Vol 1, head over to Lynks' Youtube channel (link) where you can catch performances of many of the tracks from the EP thanks to his lockdown live shows earlier in the year.
Oscar Lang – Antidote to Being Bored
Somehow amongst the chaos of 2020, Oscar Lang was able to release three very impressive EPs. His final EP for the year, Antidote to Being Bored, shows a side of Lang that we didn’t expect to hear. Always open to experimentation and trying things outside his comfort zone, his recent EP is his boldest release to-date. The bedroom sound many might have associated with Lang in the past has been traded in for Britpop-swagger and sounds that are designed for sweaty mosh-pits. With every release, Lang continues to prove why he’s one of the most versatile and exciting artists on the rise.
Shady Nasty – Bad Posture
Spanning four startling and thought-provoking tracks, their haunting EP touches on heavy topics, including mental health, addiction and battling the expectations enforced by family as well as society. With Bad Posture, Shady Nasty showcased why they’re one of Australia’s most intriguing and compelling experimental bands on the rise.
Tkay Maidza – Last Year Was Weird Vol. 2
When Tkay Maidza started her Last Year Was Weird EP series, there was no anticipating that 2020 was going to be one of the weirdest years yet. Adventurous and compelling, Tkay’s EP is innovative and stylistically diverse — each track is dissimilar from the next, yet they’ve been perfectly curated.
PVA – Toner
PVA faced an array of challenges in the lead-up to their debut EP. But through the wave of cancellations and setbacks thrown their way, they were able to deliver Toner. Spanning three exhilarating tracks and two incredible remixes (by Lynks and Mura Masa), the up-and-comers give listeners a tantalising taste of what they’ve got to offer and it’s immensely exciting.
