Abbie Ozard impresses with new EP ‘Water Based Lullabies’
Abbie Ozard shares a new EP and announces her UK tour this winter
Photo: Charlotte Rudd
Manchester-based Abbie Ozard’s latest creation Water Based Lullabies is refreshing, uplifting and exactly what we need at this time of year. It offers electric tracks such as Pisces and Rose Tinted that sound like they’re made to be played in packed-out stadiums, as well as more sedated numbers like Grown, which cement this as an impressively well-rounded EP.
On first listen-through it’s clear there’s a lot to unpack, with each song offering something very different from the last.
Comfy sounds like bumbling along, with its off-kilter sounding guitar, rhythmic vocals, and synths that really come into their own. As with the rest of the EP, Ozard delivers the high vocals in this track beautifully, whilst telling a story about being young and in love and just enjoying the company of a partner – a sweet and heartwarming song to follow on from the buoyant Candy Blue.
Next we get Rose Tinted – a ridiculously catchy indie pop tune. The chorus in particular (“Everything is rosy / everything is great / I love my life / I love my dog / so wrapped up in a bubble, for a moment I forgot”) is delivered with deadpan vocals accompanied by a backdrop of upbeat pop music, which makes for fun listening.
Following on from that, we get to take a breather with Grown, a much gentler track and a change of pace from the rest of the EP. Ozard reflects on a past relationship, with the main feeling being one of regret and missing what she once had: “Just tell me what we had wasn’t all a lie / ‘I’ve moved on’, I say / but I still think of you”.
Fizzy, the track you may have seen gain some attention on TikTok, is undoubtedly the most catchy of all the tracks on the EP and one to listen out for as it’s sure to gain popularity. With its rhythmic instrumental and Abbie’s signature vocals, what’s not to love?
A personal favourite for me is the final track Norway, which starts off at a slower pace like previous track Grown, but slowly builds up and has the power to make you feel a range of emotions throughout. In moments it feels melancholic and sombre and in others it feels uplifting and inspiring, all in all a fitting end to a thrilling EP.
Every song on this EP has a special feel about it, twisting and turning in an exploration of her signature indie-cum-bedroom-pop sound.
Ozard’s style feels like it’s flourishing and she’s cementing herself more with each new release – she has said herself that the last thing she wants to be is predictable, and with this EP she proves she is anything but that.
