EP Review: Islands // Sofia Dragt
Drawing together the wistfulness of dream-pop with the cinematic soundscapes of alt-pop, Sofia Dragt‘s music is flowing and soothing. While singer-songwriter Sofia is pursuing a musical career now, she also has experience as a composer for short films and documentaries. Featured on Indie Dock Music Blog, The Other Side Reviews and several online radio stations/podcasts, Sofia is turning heads on an international scale. The latest addition to her critically acclaimed discography is Islands.
Influenced by the likes of Half Moon Run and Regina Spektor, Sofia Dragt’s music has a mellow and abstract quality. In the lines of The Lumineers, but with a softer tinge to the melody, Sofia’s music can easily soothe one’s soul. Following her haunting single ‘We Remember Now’, the Netherlands-based artist adopts a more tangible and “poppier” approach on Islands. Do not be discouraged though for while there is a contemporary pop edge to Islands, Sofia retains her distinctive cinematic sound.
Self-produced, the four-track EP takes you on a journey filled with anxiety, vulnerability, isolation, fear and despair. From the opening track ‘Old Boat’ to the closing track ‘Out Of Town’, Sofia showcases her fragility with simplistic instrumentation and delicate vocals. Yet, while the harmonic arrangements seem, well, delicate, there is far more depth to the content. It is this profoundness within airy tones that truly intrigues me.
According to Sofia Dragt, the EP has a conceptual stance connecting with all people on their individual “islands”. She shares that “…while everyone is on their own island sometimes, I hope we can keep or renew the connection with each other where we lost it.” It is this longing for a connection that makes her songs intimate, engaging and endearing. It is as if she is reaching for you to share her challenges but retain a sense of individuality.
Listening to Islands was a pleasant experience. Not only is it soothing, but the provocative themes cause one to think about the material. Quite intense, but without being overwhelming in the melody, Sofia traverses the mystery of life and how to manage the issues. Yet, while there is a profoundness to the EP, her whimsical vocals and ambient tunes carry you off to another universe without any concerns.