Katrina Rees
We love nothing more than spending our Sundays listening to some music which will relax us for the week ahead. If you want to add some new pop-soul songs to your chill out playlist, then you need to get to know British singer-songwriter Rebecca Raw.
Rebecca has been hooked on music from a young age, learning the cello at the age of seven before picking up the clarinet too. Many of her younger years were spent singing in choirs, embracing the classical tradition right up to when she obtained a music degree from Cambridge University.
Alongside her studies, Rebecca developed a love for performing jazz, soul and pop music. After graduating, she started to divide her time between teaching the cello and performing as a singer at events. She also began to write her own songs, a natural step after her long-term fascination with music.
On April 20, Rebecca released her debut EP, Deep Within, which combines her unique storytelling ability with her compelling voice. Speaking about the EP, she said that “each song was born as a personal response to a challenging time but hope prevails in my life and I always try to encapsulate this in my music. As others reach into the heart of these stories I hope that they will discover for themselves more treasures of this rich, wonderful, crazy thing called life.”
Its opening track, ‘Connection’, proves to be the perfect introduction to Rebecca’s authentic sound. According to Rebecca, ‘Connection’ is “an intensely personal exploration of a widely-shared experience: the desire for deeper, more dependable relationships in a time when many are shallow and fleeting.” The track begins as a gentle ballad, before becoming stronger around 1:40 in an almost euphoric manner.
‘Dust And Ashes’ is a complete contrast, and feels very stripped back. The track is formed by a series of “doo doo’s”, with only Rebecca’s vocal, hand claps and a couple of additional vocals near the end for company. It’s an intriguing track which shows Rebecca’s versatility as an artist.
‘Whisper Thin’, the third EP track, is a haunting and emotional piano ballad. It’s an emotional offering which truly allows Rebecca to shine vocally, whilst she also demonstrates her beautiful cello playing with a gorgeous instrumental. It’s evident that the track is an extremely personal ballad, and we can feel every little bit of emotion from Rebecca.
‘Freefall’ is more similar to ‘Connection’ in sound, but proves to be powerful from the off. It’s a more uptempo offering from Rebecca, but again, shows her versatility as an artist as she proves she is capable of writing a variety of different sounding tracks. ‘Freefall’ is one of our favourites, and we love the roaring instrumental around the 2.05 mark.
The final track is ‘Calling’ where, once again, Rebecca’s voice is stunning and takes centre stage for most of the track. However, as the track seemingly comes to an end, we are treated to an instrumental which could be mistaken for another track altogether. The track rounds off the EP in an unusual yet beautiful manner.
Check out the Deep Within EP below.
It’s safe to say that Rebecca Raw is an artist full of honesty and conviction. Her blend of pop, soul and elements of folk are delightful to the ear, whilst her vocal is full of emotion. We’re marking her as an artist to watch over the next few months.
Deep Within is available now.
