Monday 30th August, 2021
Emerging indie singer-songwriter Zoe Koul made a big impression with her debut release, Time To Fly, which hit #3 on the Triple J Unearthed Pop Charts.
The twenty-year-old has just released her second single, Cry, a seductive yet serious-minded song that’s self-reflective and relatable, achieving this without forgoing any pop charm. Cry merges a laid-back R&B groove and finely crafted melodies with a notable vocal performance and a lyric that’s ambitious as it is unadorned.
Written during the COVID-19 lockdown, Cry is an all too familiar meditation on anxiety and adversity, a self-diagnosis that ultimately leads to a certain kind of awareness. As Zoe says about Cry, ‘It was written as a personal reminder that there is no shame in being vulnerable and asking for help, in fact, there is beauty and strength in it!’
Comprising an array of contemporary sonic touches that reflect the self-affirming intensity of the lyric, Cry manages to sound unfiltered and sophisticated, creating a dynamic that’s impressive and alluring. The song wastes no time, kicking in with a sparse keyboard part that acts as a rhythmic base for the verses until a pre-chorus appears, further heightened by a myriad of vocal layers.
The chorus is enhanced by the more stringent drum part and a series of intricate and striking vocal lines. Cry eschews the over-the-top hooks for a more subdued form of melodic strength; the rather weighty subject matter cleverly mirrors the restraint displayed by the production, instrumentation, and performance. However, despite the song’s deep context, it is balanced out by its positive and energetic tone.
When asked about her ambitions, Zoe says, ‘My biggest goal with my music is for people to resonate with the uplifting and introspective topics that guide my lyrics and melodies.’ From the intimacy of the vocal performance to the engaging resonance of the lyric, Cry is an intoxicating indie-pop track that will undoubtedly help propel Zoe Koul into the next level of her musical career.
