KEYES

Keyes’ voice itself runs in a deep modern pop tradition, and is reminiscent of fellow up and coming contemporaries such as New Yorker Verite.

It’s little wonder, then, that her debut track ‘Veins’ has racked up more than ten thousand plays in forty-eight hours. But it’s very harsh to suggest that the Warwickshire pop singer has been so successful because she’s riding on the coat-tails of other popular artists. No, instead her music is something that she’s crafted all of her own, taking inspiration from the best of the charts and putting her own little stamp on things.

‘Veins’ is certainly proof that Keyes is attempting to be more than just your average pop star. While accessible and radio-friendly, a listen through headphones suggests that there’s something much deeper and even a little darker going on in her world.

The synths are awash with atmospheric tidal waves of reverb and the beats are minimal, hushed and rely more on finger snaps than bombast.

There’s even a small, simple underlying piano line that adds an extra element of melancholy to the track.

It’s not shallow, nor is it derivative. Instead, it’s a bold and oddly emotional statement of intent from the young pop singer.

Words by Eve Johnson

Tipped by Tim Dickinson from The Blue Walrus