Australia’s rising alt-pop talent E^ST has inspired comparisons with the likes of Robyn, Tove Lo and MØ, while her lyrics investigate the ups, downs and uncertainties that come with being a young adult and finding your place in the world. Her life-affirming blend of feelgood sounds with self-analytical themes is enticingly refreshing, as evidenced throughout her debut album ‘I’M DOING IT’, which is out now.
E^ST wrote all of the album with producer and long-term collaborator Jim Elliot (Halsey, Ellie Goulding
As show by the singles that have preceded it, ‘I’M DOING IT’ sets her distinctive, sonorous vocal to songs which slyly toy with the traits of modern pop. ‘I WANNA BE HERE’ powers skywards with a dramatic mood-altering drop, while ‘FLIGHT PATH’ effortlessly rises from sweet vocal harmonies into playful synths and beats. Elsewhere, ‘TALK DEEP’ brings some ‘80s-flavour to her progressive style, and ‘FRESH OUT OF LOVE’ is a moody twist on the torch song.
The new material also lives up to expectations. The delightfully downbeat ‘FIT FOR COMPANY’ perfectly sets the tone, ‘TURN’ represents a change of outlook before the quirky ‘WALKING HOME IN THE RAIN’ melds another sky-scraping hook with a new-found optimism. That uplifting self-discovery brings the album to a positive conclusion with the title track, as E^ST declares, “I’d always think about us, I never thought about me / But now I’m all about me, even if you doubt me / I’m doing fine without you in my life.”
“It’s about where I’m at right now, and that’s ever-changing,” explains E^ST.
