Canadian artist Haley Blais has released her third digital EP ‘Late Bloomer’ and it is available to buy on her Bandcamp page now.
Haley, who is best known for her comical antics and uploading videos for her near 83k subscribers on YouTube, delivers raw and unique vocals over a heavily ukulele driven three-track album.
‘Good Feeling’ opens the indie-folk EP with its strummed intro setting a very chilled vibe before moving slowly into a lighter percussion section featuring tambourine.
Despite the relaxing sounds of the piece, the lyrics appear to be quite the contradiction discussing darker themes such as depression (“Pain in my chest / Shortness of breath / The sun has set / I’m not up yet”) and the yearning for happiness (“I’m waiting for that good feeling.”)
The second track on the EP, ‘Mine’, again sees Haley’s usual musical style of layered vocal harmonies, repeating phrases as percussion slowly builds below.
It is the shortest of the pieces at just two minutes 43 seconds in length and only features four lines:
“If dogs have one life
Cats have nine
If my dog needed one life
I would give him mine”
(It’s definitely one for the pet lovers out there!)
The final song, which shares a title with the EP, ‘Late Bloomer’, with its pessimistic lyrical content really holds a more uplifting melodic quality and acts a perfect conclusion to the short album.
It also features a brief sample of Madonna’s ‘Just Like a Prayer’ around two minutes and 39 seconds in, continuing rather delicately every now and then into the repetitive “late bloomer” ending.
The official music video for the single has been uploaded to Haley’s channel, and has already received over 20.5k views and nearly 2.5k likes.
This music video was filmed by Haley’s brother, Matt Blais, and includes charming shots of the singer mirroring scenes from ET and making references to The Breakfast Club.
Overall, the EP – which covers themes of adolescence, death and identity – sees beautifully constructed lyrics, heavy in meaning, and simplistic instrumental and harmonic layering.
Although the album seems as though it may be personal to Haley, it truly acts as an anthem for the angsty youth of today.
Check out the video for ‘Late Bloomer’ below and to purchase the songs click here.
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