EP Review: "I Didn't See It Coming" - EEVAH
- Kaitlyn Nicole
- May 25
- 4 min read
Halifax based Indie/Alternative trio, EEVAH, has just dropped their sophomore EP, "I Didn't See It Coming", calling it their most personal and truthful work to date.
TRACKLIST
I Didn't See It Coming
I Still Think Of You
Lullaby
If It Ain't You
The Girl In My Head (Bonus Track)
Nicole Hope Smith (vocals and bass), Fay Clayton (drums), and Richard McNamara (guitar) make up the 3-piece band EEVAH. Reigning from Halifax in West Yorkshire, England, EEVAH first debuted in 2018 with the single "Can't Breathe", but really gained traction last year (2024) with their first ever EP "Simplify Life", which led them to also selling out their first headlining UK tour. EEVAH blends anthemic indie pop and energetic, nostalgic rock with synths and hints of folk to create emotional and atmospheric musical experiences. They take inspiration from the likes of a variety of beloved artists such as The National, Wolf Alice, The XX, HAIM and London Grammar. In light of their success, EEVAH has gone on to support major names on the stage like Everything Everything, Duran Duran, Corella, and We Are Scientists. They've also been featured on BBC's Radio 1, 6music and BBC Introducing. With their newly released second EP, "I Didn't See It Coming", EEVAH plans on taking a bigger step when it comes to connecting with their audience. Let's dive into these tracks to see what they have in store!
I Didn't See It Coming
We kick off the EP with the title track, "I Didn't See It Coming", a dreamy rock ballad. This song is about being blind-sided by someone and just trying to make sense of it all. You try to come up with ways that you can fix the situation but nothing is working; so instead you're just left alone, wondering what you did wrong. When talking about creating the sound for this song, guitarist Richard McNamara (who you may also recognize from his band Embrace), spoke about how he wanted to try and keep EEVAH separate from the style he uses with his other band. However, after a night of watching YouTube videos of other artists being inspired by his sound, he realized that "if anyone’s allowed to sound like Embrace, it’s me". "I Didn't See It Coming" the song particularly has an Embrace essence to it's soundscape, with smooth electric guitar riffs through out the whole song. With a light, syncopated melodic rhythm and a melancholic tone, this song is a great start to the project.
I Still Think Of You
Next, we have "I Still Think Of You", which is the leading single off of the EP. This song is highly emotional; and although personal, very relatable to many. "I Still Think Of You" was written by Nicole after losing her grandma in the midst of her deepest grief. There's themes of family conflict and guilt, but beyond that all, it comes back to just thinking about her grandma and not being able to shake the fact that she's gone. "I Still Think Of You" burns slow but in the best way. There's a soft drum beat, shimmering guitar, mournful piano and of course, hauntingly stunning vocals. When we reach the end, we get an unexpected burst of painful emotion that takes over. Just be prepared, because it is a tear-jerking moment.
Lullaby
"Lullaby" is an addictingly haunting cinematic experience about night terrors and the things that keep us awake. Have you ever woken up in a sudden panic, drenched in sweat and your heart is racing? The adrenaline and anxiety now has you lying awake, alone in the dark with your biggest fears and looming thoughts. Sometimes we have to find a sense of comfort to force ourselves back to sleep. In this songs case, it's seeing the break of day and hearing the birds start to sing, acting as a sort of lullaby. You can finally take a deep breath and find peace in knowing you can go back to sleep and get the rest you need and deserve. "Lullaby" has a stomping beat, with atmospheric blends of guitars and reverb. The bass is heavy with a groove that's hard not to move to, and there's cathartic layers of harmonies that really bring everything together.
If It Ain't You
Technically acting as the closing track, we have "If It Ain't You", a heartbreaking but strong soft rock ballad. This song is filled with defeat and hopelessness over a clearly broken and unmendable relationship; but despite that, there's something telling you that there's no one else on this Earth that could be the one. There's forever this tiny little piece of thread that attaches you to them, making it hard to let go, no matter how catastrophic the relationship gets. There's a beautiful simplicity to the instrumentation in this song that allows the emotional melody and poetic lyricism to take over.
The Girl In My Head (Bonus Track)
Although not currently available on streaming as I'm writing this, there is a bonus track for this EP that you can listen to on EEVAH's Patreon titled "The Girl In My Head"! This song is about all the pain women keep inside with the way we're expected to act and look. We're supposed to keep our thoughts to ourselves, and always be "pretty"; but no one knows what really goes on inside of our heads, and how that effects our mental health. This song has a slow, dreamy groove that is a little bit reminiscent of the 1950's with whimsical, ethereal and dissonant guitar riffs.
There is no doubt in my mind that EEVAH is taking over the indie music scene and they're only going to get bigger from here. They're already selling out headline shows like it's nothing, and I'm just so excited for them to take that leap and come overseas. "I Didn't See It Coming" the EP is a flawless project with meaningful, emotionally fulfilling tracks made by passionate performers that deserve to be heard. EEVAH is only getting started and I absolutely can't wait to see where they go and what they do next. Make sure to follow them below to keep up on their journey, and I'd highly suggest trying to catch them at a show if you have the chance.
Written By Kaitlyn Nicole
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*Sponsored Post - Discovered on SubmitHub. A contribution was made to help create this article as part of a promotional campaign.
