Annie Booth – Spectral EP
As an intimate introduction to a very special artist, Annie Booth's new EP Spectral is hard to beat
Spectral is the new EP from Edinburgh-based singer-songwriter Annie Booth, a collection of personal indie-folk tales that cast her as Scotland’s answer to Phoebe Bridgers.
Opener Magic 8, a sparse guitar and vocals track described by Booth as "far more bittersweet and melancholy than it first appears", begins with the lyrics 'I look forward to being alone'. It’s clear that it comes from a melancholic and introspective place, but the highlight comes as a beautifully double-tracked chorus vocal that ascends gently to the heavens.
The pleading Mirage evokes Kathryn Joseph’s choral folk, subtly introducing new instrumentation to complement a repeating central melody, while Still builds on ringing piano arpeggios as Booth sings, 'Why does happiness seem like a trick of the light?' before a subtle shifting guitar outro.
Spiralling returns to the simplicity and sparseness of Magic 8, with Booth gently plucking her guitar for an evocative tale of lost and thwarted love. Packed with memorable imagery – 'This town withered as a leaf in winter' – it speaks to her lyrical abilities. If you missed An Unforgiving Light, as an intimate introduction to a very special artist, Spectral is hard to beat.
Listen to: Magic 8, Spiralling