Angelic Dream pop prodigy Skofee has delivered her shimmering EP Polished— a comforting and endearing collection of spacey jams that are perfect for quarantine isolation. The EP is backed by three promotional singles including “Fantomlimb,” “Spiderman,” and the title track, all of which were released this year. As a newcomer to the industry, the LA native brings a plethora of touching croons and bouncy grooves to cling to with Polished, which quickly establishes her as an early artist to watch. This 14-minute project is short but sweet—an impressive bout of escapism that brings fresh and engaging ideas to the modern indie-pop landscape.
The EP kicks off strongly with “Fantomlimb,” and sets the tone for the rest of the work with smooth sparkling guitar runs and steady chugging synth voices. The highlight here though, just like throughout the project, is Skofee’s stunning vocal work. Her voice carries a tremendous weight and texture to it, reminiscent of an early Ariana Grande with less distracting inflections. Next up is the one-two punch of “Polished,” and “Spiderman,” the former being a downtempo meditation that comes off as a talking head confessional, and the latter being a grandiose and pulsing ballad of yearning.
“Bleach” comes fourth on the tracklist, and brings lush synth layers and fascinating sonic glitches to back Skofee’s desires to “Bleach my mind of all my dreams.” Despite the daunting lyrics, this is the most captivating and gorgeous track here; the backing vocals and electronic whirs evoke alarmingly human touches amid the chaos. The EP closes with “Crabapple,” a fitting end that brings more of a traditional guitar ballad with nods to the recent wave of rising women in indie-folk. It still has playful tinges of electronic influence, though it surprisingly meshes it in seamlessly.
Polished is a success on all fronts. It’s instrumentals are beautifully rich and complex, the songwriting is honed in perfectly behind Skofee’s enchanting voice. Her talent and vulnerability are both undeniable throughout, not to mention alarmingly high given her relatively recent emergence.
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