Sad Girl Autumn's Latest Addition: 'Above Deep Water' by Eleni Drake

Eleni Drake, London-based singer/songwriter and producer has created the perfect addition to Sad Girl Autumn with her latest EP, 'Above Deep Water'. For fans of Birdy, Phoebe Bridgers, and Mazzy Star, listen up.

---

Above Deep Water, released under MNRK Records

This record is full of life with its exploration into the all-to-relatable experiences of heartache, pain, and the journey of introspection that these can bring about. It exudes warmth with the opening song, 'Orange Velvet'. The delicate beginning, paired with an intense instrumental build-up, creates an impassioned space immediately, bursting at the seams with feeling as the song concludes.

The second and third track details a two-part story. 'Singing Elvis, Pt. 1' and 'Singing Elvis, Pt. 2.' feel interesting structurally, and are appealing in themselves as an exploration of two sides of the same relationship. The shift in tone between the two is a clever way of mirroring the change in dynamics within a partnership.

While Part 1, with lyrics like 'Let's do nothing / It's like I came back to life / When you touched me', feels coated in love and admiration, Part 2 is a complete contrast of this, noting that 'My mouth is so tired of speaking / And my hands are wrapped in thread / Over with the tension / Yeah, it's me who's wrong again' in a tone of almost resentment. It expresses candid details of the beauty found in a relationship, but how things can frost over, and become exhausting.

The romance can suddenly become unfulfilling, but can also be so gradual that it goes unnoticed until you look back at the best moments shared in the past. Part 1 yearns for the simple act of doing nothing with a partner, but Part 2 reflects upon the need to do nothing in an entirely different way, as all energy has been taken by the back-and-forth with her partner.

As the track run progresses, sorrow is infused into the lyrics and sonic space created by Drake, and this is heightened in 'White Rain'. The combination of strings, piano, and Eleni’s melancholic voice allows the listener to fully understand and feel the quiet desolation. Lines like ‘I’ve been circling my mind all day / Watching heart strings getting frayed’ illustrate the heaviness of this woe. It feels like a touching way to convey this somber experience.

If you only have time to listen to one track on this record, ‘A Spotless Mind’ should be your choice. It immediately provoked the same feelings that I gained from listening to Clairo’s ‘Bubblegum’, and there was an instant connection.

Lyrics like ‘There’s a rumour that you’re coming back / please just stay here’ and ‘Why can’t I just live my life / The way I need it to / Instead of choosing you’ mirror the inner battle between wants versus needs and a real struggle in learning what is good for you as an individual moving on from a previous situation.

Words like ’Wanna make my family proud/ I am my mother’s daughter / I am her eyes, her strength, her vow’ create a beautiful break within the story, questioning her desires and what is important at the core of her central being. This track shows Drake’s insightful lyricism and ability to create a timeless, reflective moment within the record.

We see a real sense of resolution moving into ‘Daisy (Keep My Sweater)', with lyrics in ‘I’m rich, but not in that way / I’m happy all alone’ in the verse acknowledging the journey to feeling complete again after loss. While it may not be linear, admitting herself ‘Fuck, I’ll miss you, darlin’ / On the other chance, you don’t know’, Eleni has mastered the portrayal of shifting the narrative to something more subtly optimistic, a road found on the route to a more positive life.

More moments of introspection are seen within ‘Swim’, questioning her power as a woman with thoughts like ‘Unorthodox delusions / Unwarranted intrusion / Is my body really my own, in the end?’. With its simple production, this track allows Drake to articulate her poignant thoughts about breaking away from toxicity and life under someone else’s wing.

She acknowledges and fights for her ability to achieve independence away from somebody, with the outro repeating ‘I want you, but I don’t need you’. The turning point of realisation seen her creates a moment of empowerment that the listener can resonate with.

'Let it Go and Let it Be’ works as a perfect end to the bittersweet chapter of Eleni’s life, documented across the EP. The song itself feels relaxed and truly feels like she has reached the point of moving on and no longer letting the things that do not serve her affect her journey to happiness. It feels like looking back at an old situation with a new lens and learning from it. Lyrics like ‘Kick me off the pedestal / I never even put myself there / So I’d rather be alone’ open a fresh perspective, realising that the version of her had been shaped by somebody else and become so distorted. It creates an awakening to a more authentic version of herself, recognising the signs of distortion and at its core, acceptance of change.

The emotional journey provided in ‘Above Deep Water’ balances sadness and optimism, capturing moments of introspection while offering glimmers of hope. It shows resilience through the heartbreak to reach the other side, of acceptance and progressing onwards despite previous experiences. This is a stunning collection of tracks that can captivate the listener effortlessly. For anyone seeking emotive music that resonates on a personal level and truly allows you to immerse yourself in the sound, 'Above Deep Water' cannot be recommended enough.