Stumbling through the depths of my Spotify I came across the soothing vocals of Leyla Zebda, better known as seeyouinthesoil. Hailing from North London, the 19-year-old pens tracks that feel wise beyond her years.
Her first release is the soft-sounding Don’t Talk Too Loud, an ambient set of 6 tracks providing a mellow recollection of youth. Beginning with ‘Obsession’, Zebda treats our ears to heart-wrenching lyrics such as “I hate that you waste away the days you could be talking to me”. Layered over soft strings, she provides an excellent 4am soundtrack with a mellow feeling and low crackling fuzz on tracks ‘Love It When You Cry’ and ‘The Bad’.
A personal favourite is the slightly more upbeat ‘All but a Wish for Now’, which has a more folky feel, buzzing with the repetitive line “I know I’m not a rocker girl in a band”. For any artist, the collection would be impressive, let alone for someone with such a small radar. The EP’s finisher ‘The Bad’ is a melancholic depiction of personal emotion with lyrics such as “I’m stuck in a state” and “I’m on the brink, I hold my own hand” alongside “I miss you but I don’t know why right now”. Perfect for those fragile moments, there is something deeply relatable and rarely insightful in Zebda’s EP.
She draws to mind the work of Cyberbully Mom Club, girl in red, and Clairo. One to watch out for and one for the afters playlists, seeyouinthesoil is a bright new spark who deserves to be stumbled upon more.
Song recommendations: ‘All but a Wish for Now’, ‘The Bad’, ‘Love It When You Cry’.
