Space to Roam is the new EP from Olivia Reid. It comes after the Brooklyn singer-songwriter partook in a residency in Poland, which housed various musicians who all wanted to find some serene for a while. After spending weeks in the village of Burdag, Olivia found herself wanting to return mostly to a Folk-based sound. Setting aside the electronic-production that was so prevalent on 2023’s TO BE NAMED BY THE PEOPLE:
“I wanted to write music that would lower my heart rate, that would calm my mind, and bring me back to Earth a little bit,” Reid explains. “I wrote these songs because I needed them and needed to hear them. I didn’t want to overthink them or overedit them. They are just simple, soft songs for the soul.”
With most of the songs written outdoors, you get a sense of that freedom on the EP. The title track opens with soft acoustic chords and Olivia’s flurry of vocals, plus the tiniest of piano keys in the background. It immediately brings that calming nature she mentions above, and makes you take a deep breath automatically. There’s something organic about it, and the way it flows seems natural too. As if the song was formed by its own direction. It’s exquisite production allows the high moments to sound larger-than-life, and even the little combinations of harmonies and percussions hit hard too. What a way to kick things off.
Lead single ‘Love Don’t Leave’ continues this harmonious style, but harnesses space to create some dramatic moments. Olivia’s voice is singular here, as if she’s speaking only to you, and the way that they move with the percussion makes each statement leave an impact. The addition of horns are beautiful, and I love the way they make themselves known, yet fall into the instrumental with minimal disruption. The want for human connection is illustrated with the outro, which sweetly features an audience that are praising and asking for more.
‘All in Time’ captures the natural flow of life, as it covers the seasons in a manner of stomping, energetic verses and a close that signals the period of peace, as we look to take solace in our home for a while. This extends into ‘Quite Simple’, which combats against the usual hustle and bustle of the everyday, and crafts a sing-along section that has become a fan favourite (and is easy to see why).
With each song representing a want from nature, ‘Serene’ yearns for sunlight. As Space to Roam heads to its end, this tune embraces the sun as a feminine entity called ‘Serene’. Its emotive sound is backed with gorgeous harmonics, and Olivia’s vocals that beg for the sun to stay as long as possible.
A brief dive into an experimental venture sees ‘Steady’ bring some electronic vibes back for the end of the EP. As the instrumental says see ya to everything we heard at this point, it feels like an ascension into the skies rather than a wander in the woods, and as ambitious as it sounds, Olivia keeps its message simple: stay steady. Everything Space to Roam has pointed to.
It’s a wonderful way to close a superb EP. Space to Roam features a simple message, one that invites us all to take a second. Remove all outside noise and enjoy existing. The way it does that is by creating some of the most organic and lush instrumentals that we’ve heard this year. With, hooks, harmonies and moments that keep it rolling smoothly. This is so good. Olivia Reid has absolutely delivered here.