With a vibrant presence, Ali Wick is a promising tour-de-force in the indie-pop scene, striking a sharp impression on her burgeoning audience with a growing list of emotive pop tunes, all set for receiving heavy rotation. Yet these ear-candy numbers, especially in her latest EP "Sobbing at the Squat Rack," go beyond the usual commercial pop tendencies. The six-track EP fascinated us with a display of superb production duties— fitting like a glove with the tempting hooks that Ali offers— all in a dynamic package with equal bits of fun and heartfelt aspects.
The Canadian songstress has an impressive resume: her experience stems from fulfilling various roles that range from being a competitive rugby player for the national team to a former product manager having dealt with the inner workings of music marketing. The culmination of prior careers has only served as an advantage for her, as Ali has gathered a noteworthy momentum since her debut only two years ago; various media outlets and blogs have expressed their admiration (such as Canadian Beats and Zone Nights), with radio stations like CBC and CKUA across the country giving airtime to her discography. Meanwhile, digital streamers such as Spotify and YouTube have also registered thousands of listeners on previous releases. She has also proved to be an enamoring presence on stage, mixing comedy and music during live shows.
Earlier projects like "Hello Love" (from 2022) established her effortless knack for leading upbeat and bubbly dance-pop tunes, nevertheless carrying a stirring sense of self-fragility with solemn ballads like "Can't Fix You."
"Sobbing at a Squat Rack" very well carries over that commendable performance range. A compilation centered on empowerment, the lyrics are abundant with messages devoted to women actively trying to overcome hurdles faced in embracing self-love and independence in today's world.
From the start, the listener is welcomed with "Return to Sender," which commences as a soulful ballad, and the songstress contemplating whether her feelings are reciprocated in a relationship; for the instrumental, a somber pianoforte is coupled with cinematic percussions, presenting heartbreak melancholia with an epic cadence. For the next track "Falling for Falling," (with 60s Soul/RnB ballad influences), we find the vocalist wary of being in love again in a lush and sultry rendition (as the prudent chorus goes "You might be the right one// But this is the wrong time").
Not lacking the fun factor, "It's Easy as Smooth" is a standout with its unabashedly tongue-in-cheek demeanor, a sunny tune that thrives on sardonic yet grabby songwriting; the production brings together funky guitars and bluesy organ chords in a groovy backbeat with the ear-candy singing. Bringing a sense of longing and yearning, the pensive conclusion "Can't Pack a Memory" is every bit wistful with a sumptuous dose of synth-generated ambiance and plaintive vocals.
Listen to "Sobbing at the Squat Rack" on Spotify, and stay tuned with Ali Wick and her upcoming projects on Instagram.
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