Gabby Young and Other Animals - Bear With Me

This, the debut EP from Gabby Young and Other Animals, is original if nothing else. The songs are instrumentally imaginative and thoughtfully arranged, amounting to a strange mixture of theatrical jazz, folk and pop-rock. Young’s classical training is evident in her range and ability to effectively utilise held notes and the occasional cheeky warble. Opener Snakebite is attention-grabbing but not as suited to Young’s vocal style, at points seeming to lack strength. The rest of the EP, however, is more coherently vocal-centred, yet not one-dimensional, with gentle folk-ballad Mole the stand out track, delicately emotional and dynamic. A promisingly mature sound for an artist so young, and with a barnet uncannily reminiscent of Hayley Williams (ask your little sister). [Lauren Mayberry]