Plumb the depths of your raw, vulnerable soul with beccs
NYLON magazine’s favourite new cool girl, soul-searching Brooklyn songstress beccs is currently releasing her new EP Unfound Beauty.
Just who is beccs, mastermind behind new EP Unfound Beauty?
Introducing beccs, the endearingly abbreviated stage-monicker of Becca Gastfriend, a dreamy-dressed enchantress of the alternative/soul variety hailing from Brooklyn, USA. Classically trained- a student of the Cello at the tender age of four before becoming a songstress- beccs is well-qualified to win over our ears. And boy, does she succeed in this mission.
1-Therapy (4/5)
One word review: Powerful
Allow us to introduce you to the opening track on the EP, Therapy. It’s been released alongside a music video which visually interprets the internal battles faced when going through therapy for an eating disorder. This song is a soulful, emotional exploration of introspection and the outcome of a lengthy period of therapy, during which beccs turned to songwriting as a form of catharsis and self-expression.
The lyrics tell listeners, “I’m in an abusive relationship. Her name is Me”, reminding us that when we treat ourselves as our own worst enemy, we are both victim and aggressor. An affecting song which plumbs the emotional depths of suffering and healing, side by side. An exploration into the darkest expanses of the soul.
2-Scared of Me (5/5)
One word review: Provocative
Scared of Me is a masterpiece of philosophical introspection which proves that this songstress has an innate understanding of girlhood and womanhood. In this 3.20 masterpiece, beccs explores the contradictions of womanhood with painful accuracy- our redoubtable chanteuse is unafraid of her lover, but remains in fear of her own self. It’s almost a declaration of war, and we are hit with lyrics such as “I’m a soldier, I’m a fighter”, reminding us of the everyday battles faced by women across the world.
A compelling exploration of the uglier aspects of life as a member of the female of the species, making for a gut-puncher of a song.
3-Waiting (3/5)
One word review: Poignant
This is the kind of record you’d ideally listen to in a bath full of bubbles, drinking a glass of chilled wine freshly grabbed from the fridge. The lyrics should probably not add up to such a chilled-out mood, as they take the listener on a tour through the deeper and darker elements of the self-reflection including waiting for the ‘lonely, foolish fears’ of the night to fade, and facing fears about life slipping away without ever being lived.
As she describes a life on hold, the narrator of this ballad to a life-on-pause expresses the anxieties of every not-quite-satisfied-just-yet girl who’s found herself wondering if the future will bring a revolution or a thunderstorm.
4-It’s For You (5/5)
One word review: Soulful
This track has been covered by The Beatles, and was originally written for Cilla Black by John Lennon and Paul McCartney. Here we find a powerful cover, and beccs’ rich, classic voice lives up to the original well-enough, employing a rollicking, staccato style. The video for the original, sixties version featured Cilla Black dangerously striding around a circus setup, and this track retains an atmosphere of moody soulfulness.
Ultimately, this is a song about a woman who is awaiting a tall, dark stranger to tip their hat above the horizon. It explores the fragility and vulnerability of being in love, and the darker theme of surrendering of self to an unfolding romance. One for all of us who have been unlucky in love.
5-Unfound Beauty (4/5)
One word review: Exquisite
Co-written with Hernan Olalla in Spain, Unfound Beauty is the title track of the EP. This rollicking track has been featured in the movie Yellow Heart (dir. Sophia Harvey), where it was the soundtrack to a forbidden love story which unfolds between a modern-day Echo & Narcissus. The song will also be featured in All Of Me, a documentary on eating disorders by award-winning filmmaker Bess O’ Brien.
As beccs’ dulcet tones tell of a messy partnership, uttering: ’I use you/Just as much as you use me’, we are taken on a journey through the knotty puzzle of love. It’s a conflicted song which discusses the dynamics of a complicated love story and a journey into self-worth. As the melodic strings pull the unsuspecting listener into a delicate contemplation of the meaning of love itself, Spanish utterances grant the lyrics a rhythm all of their own.
Teeny tiny final thought: Girl’s got soul. Emotionally-rich songstress with an original voice.
Unfound Beauty EP on Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/beccsmusic/sets/unfoundbeautyep
