4 EP – Natalie Gardiner

Some soul artists have the incredible ability to hold the essence of summer in their voice, as Death Metal singers hold the sounds of brutal and cold winters in theirs. Thankfully, Swedish artist Natalie Gardiner has the former.

While the excellent design of the cover art features the singer in a graffiti scrawled subway train, the singer/songwriters’ new EP, titled 4, evokes sunny days, blue skies and warm breezes.

From beginning to end the EP is escapism that brings sunshine and light teardrops of rain.

The journey back to love dreamily captured in Light Years is the EP’s standout single. Embroidered with a ’70’s influences the soulful melodies and harmonies enchant from the intro to the gentle guitar chord outro. It is a charming rare groove flavoured gem.

If the sun-lounger ready single Stay in the Moment is the sun, then the following tracks are soft tears in the rain. The heartache of losing a loved one is tenderly told in – Who’s Going to Love Me When You’re Gone. Though short of being an overtly tear-jerking ballad, it as emotionally empathetic as the song’s title reveals. Be aware, the chord changes on the guitar strings may irritate those with sensitive skin.

Interluded by the instrumental The One that Got Away the theme of lost love also forms the basis of Here Comes The Day as Natalie opens her heart to life without someone special. Sensitive and gentle it moves the senses, stopping short of fully tearing at the heart.

And that was how I concluded the EP overall.

Natalie Gardiner has a wonderfully soothing style likable to an artist such as Marie Dahlstrom – highly listenable and calming, however a little more emotional punch, musically and vocally, could have made a notable difference to this EP.