Francesca Brierley’s new EP as heka, the plainly titled “(a),” may be unassuming, but it snakes its way inside your psyche pretty quickly. These four lo-fi tracks contain a mesmerizing calm and an emotional frankness that stares you in the face and wrestles with the aftermath of pain. Though the EP’s ambient textures delight and heal, the central frameworks of heka’s songs are always constructed to thrive on their own. The opening track “(a) mask” rests on sombre, folky melodies that would be just as arresting via soft, a cappella hum, even when her voice swerves towards misty auto-tune intonations.
Through light hisses, pronounced echos, what sound like castanets and other instrumental flutters, her compassionate vocal performance absolutely steals the show on “(a) dab,” a grisly tale about an unhealthy romance spiraling out of control. Though not without unexpected sonic treasures, the magic of (a) rests on Brierley’s full-hearted belief in the powerful simplicity of her songs.
This is my first EP as a producer, so .. exciting times, Thank you to Phil, Paddy and Tobi for helping me release these songs, to Ed Tullett and Jemima Coulter for lending their musical talents and to Dandysounds Recordings for the awesome master.
Released on: 19th May 2021
The Fat Angel Sings 