Eliza May is back with sophomore EP Candy Heart. A record that has been on the forefront for over a year now, she released its lead single “Edge of This” back in January of 2022. She then followed it up with its title track, “Candy Heart”, which released in July. The sophomore EP from the indie recording artist, Candy Heart is a heartfelt story of love and heartbreak. A groovy blend of indie-jazz, tantalizing piano chords and lush guitar strings will have listeners reminiscing about early 2000s Amy Winehouse tracks.
Candy Heart is a sonically joyous listen, throwing the listener into the headspace of a melancholy summer day. Bouncing from the acoustic to electric guitar, the diverse instrumentation is meant to mirror different phases of the relationship. May’s vibrant and bubbly personality can be deceiving, as the EP is far more intricate than a story of sunshine and roses.
May is profoundly honest about how past relationships have resulted in her putting her guard up. “Green Light” throws us into the early stages of their relationship amidst acoustic strings, where May’s vibrant choruses set the tone for a record where vocals would take the forefront. Stating “I could be wrong like I’ve been all those times before,” May expresses initial hesitation about diving head-first into the relationship.
As we transition into title track “Candy Heart,” she embraces “a jump in the fog,” which is mirrored by the most upbeat instrumentation on the entire EP. “The Edge of This” and “Empty Dreams” wave goodbye to the relationship, continuing down a similar sonic path to the rest of the EP. Eliza May’s artistic evolution is noticeable on Candy Heart, which is a far more upbeat and polished record comparison to her previous EP. Relying on live instrumentation rather than digital sonic tropes, May is a definite must-see in concert. Her multi-faceted songwriting and booming vocals contain hints of influences from Amy Winehouse, or even present-day bands such as Daisy.