Freya Ridings has a deft, delicate, devastating touch. The songwriter is still young – 22 years old, no less – and operates with just her and her piano. Yet she’s capable of conjuring entire worlds, with each song coming from a very real place in her life.
A live clip, shot at Hackney’s wonderful Round Chapel venue – a simple yet enormously affecting performance, you can check it out below the song “Maps”. Freya Ridings – Maps (Live at Hackney Round Chapel)
“Blackout,” Freya Ridings’ is the breakout first single, sounds fresher and more current than much of today’s future pop, hip-hop, and r&b – ironic, considering Rich Costey’s production features essentially no bells or whistles. There’s no chopped-up, detuned digital voices; no drilling trap beats; no laser synths. Instead, it’s just Freya Ridings, her thoughts, and a grand piano, all swathed in warm, crystalline reverb.
It’s a good sign of the state of today’s music scene. Substance is starting to outweigh style, and heart wins out against cynical consumerism.
In the case of Freya Ridings and “Blackout,” you get style and substance, with heart to spare. We love these two tracks when we can just have a nice thing, a brand new heartfelt piano ballad, to just enjoy.
The Fat Angel Sings 