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Released: 11th June 2021
Smoothboi Ezra’s ‘Stuck’ EP has an ambiance all of its own. Careworn, woozy, and tender, Ezra’s songs exist in a protective musical bubble where you can insulate yourself and fall in love with the words of a songwriter with an ultra perceptive grasp on desire and navigating the wild emotional ride of relationships.
The songs are slight and endearingly ramshackle as Ezra continues in the bedroom pop vibe in which they have made their name, but in that there’s an innate charm and the closeness amplifies the resonance of the songs. ‘Stuck’ is a gorgeous slice of dreamy pop while ‘Without Me’ cuts deep as Ezra details a piercing breakup. Sometimes the slightness of the songs jars against the heaviness of the lyrics and the themes dealt with as a track like ‘You’ floats off blissfully into the ether. By the closing acoustic track ‘Palm Of Your Hand’ though, you’re utterly safe in Ezra’s lo-fi world.