Bacchanalia Magazine

By Clara Guillot

On June 13th, Leeds based singer-songwriter Katie Alice released her beautifully haunting EP, ‘As We Drift’. Coming in at a quick 15 minutes, each of the four tracks perfectly encompasses a different feeling, with thought provoking lyrics accompanied by lush guitar and captivating orchestral compositions. Upon the first listen, the production and structure of the songs immediately stood out. Each song starts out stripped down, with just vocals, guitar, and harmonies gracing your ears. The songs soon start to swell, with elements like drums, flute, and even strings creating a beautiful climax that is then stripped back down again, leaving the listener feeling bare, as if they were given everything just to have it ripped away again.

The first track, ‘I Can Hear You’, is the perfect opening song for this project. It perfectly sets the vibe and gives an addicting taste of what’s to come. For the first minute, we sit with guitar, with drums and lovely harmonies coming in soon after. Then, the lyrics hit: “I can hear you in the wind, in the window.” repeating and allowing the listener to almost come up with their own scenario, reminiscing on what could be or what could have been. Suddenly the track pauses, a false end, and with a shuddering breath, we are thrust back into the Katie Alice universe. “I can feel you lingering, lingering. I can hear you whispering, whispering.” and the track ends, leaving the listener immediately wanting more. This song is the embodiment of trying to forget someone or something but being stuck with their memories, almost like traces of perfume in an elevator after the previous passengers have left, subtle but still there. It shows how even though we may try our hardest to forget something, it will never truly leave us.

Following this comes ‘Mouth to Mouth’, a song about being in a relationship that is more painful to stay in than it is to leave. It channels the importance of putting yourself first, with lyrics like “But it seems I’m sad cause you’re sad and I don’t wanna be sad for you.” Sonically and lyrically, this song is so powerful, something that you feel deep in your soul, leaving you thoughtful and thirsty for answers. Stand out lyrics like “How do these words fall out your mouth so easily,” and “Pinch myself with every word. Am I really here? The sh*t I put up with for a whole year.” show the shift from denial to bargaining to anger, and how similar those emotions can feel in certain situations.

The second to last track on the EP titled ‘Did You Realise” is about falling out of love seemingly overnight and wondering what could have possibly happened and if it could have been stopped. Like many of Katie Alice’s other lyrics, these can be very applicable to anyone’s life, and whether its friends drifting apart or falling out of love with a partner, this song gets you in all the right places. Its melody, like the other songs on this project, is very ethereal and starts light, with its heavy lyrics giving it some weight. The slow build up of the song is very similar to the way that problems in relationships, if gone unnoticed, can build up and create a crack that widens and widens until there is a canyon that cannot be fixed no matter how hard you try. 

Finally, ‘I’m Not A Child Anymore’ relays the craving for independence, especially after a draining relationship, and the emotions that come with that independence when it is finally granted. Lyrics like “Please listen listen to my words. Oh, listen listen to me. Although my heart stays the same, I’m not a child anymore!” and “As we drift apart I smile, comfortably alone cause I’ve got my own mind now I don’t rely on yours.” show how even though a relationship ending can be depressing, it can be euphoric as well and this song perfectly captures the feeling of having mixed feelings and being okay with that. This song is so very cathartic. It feels like taking a breath of fresh air after being stuck inside all day. It feels like seeing a rainbow after dark rain. It is the most different out of all of the songs on the EP because instead of being heavy, it feels light in the best way possible. The repetition of “I’m not a child anymore” at the end of the song feels exactly like the freedom Katie Alice was talking about craving.

All in all, this EP is masterfully crafted, utilizing coherent themes, wonderful melodies, and truly enthralling and painfully relatable lyrics. The production is so clear and beautifully done, you can really see Katie Alice in all aspects of every song. Echoey vocals and harmonies give a similar effect to being trapped in your own mind, left to your own devices. This project is so stunning and I cannot say enough good things about it. It is perfectly individual sonically, but relays feelings that everyone knows in some shape or form. To say it was perspective changing is putting it lightly. ‘As We Drift’ is a must listen and I cannot possibly recommend it enough.