Release date: 3rd August 2018
I first came across Ofelia when they supported Rusty Shackle at Clwb Ifor Bach just over a year ago, and was very impressed with their performance and musical style. I’ve been listening to their debut EP Go Where We Go fairly frequently since – and have been eagerly awaiting new material from this talented band. Rue Brizeux is their second effort, and it’s another stunning piece of work from them.
Featuring five stunning acoustic indie-folk tracks, Rue Brizeux is a quietly beautiful listen and each of the songs adds their own sparkle to the EP. The music as a whole is fairly simplistic, but the simplicity is what makes it so good – it doesn’t need complexity and over-the-top additions, as the rawness of the EP is what carries it so well.
Opener Hollywood is a strong and bold introduction to the piece, and the funky bassline paired up with a seriously catchy vocal bridge in the latter half of the song really helps the song to get into your head and under your skin. Meanwhile, middle track Ashes has a light and airy feel to the instrumentation that juxtaposes well against the darker vibe of the vocals and lyrics, which really helps it to stand out.
However, it’s closing track Moves In The Moonlight that is the runaway success of the EP. It’s one of those songs that will wind up stuck in your head for days, and you’ll find yourself humming the melody to yourself whilst going about your business! The song is simple but effective and the layered vocals are absolutely stunning – they’re not in-your-face, but certainly make you pay attention and fit in perfectly against the acoustic guitar.
With Rue Brizeux, Ofelia have crafted a timeless EP that you can’t help but keep wanting to come back to, as it’s beautifully constructed with five seriously memorable songs. Ofelia are teetering on the edge of something great – this is a band you really need to watch out for!
9.5/10
