REVIEW: Naz & Ella – (De)Humanise EP (self-released)
Naz & Ella are a grunge-folk duo from north London, and if this EP is anything to go by, they’re going to be a name to look out for.
Blending folk, post-punk and grunge influences such as The Cranberries, Phoebe Bridgers, PJ Harvey and Nirvana, they have a sound that’s very much their own.
Nasreen Toorabally and Ella Patenall, who met at school, have been part of the alternative folk scene since 2009.
This EP, their second, marks a shift from stripped-back acoustic music to a much darker sound.
Intertwining guitar riffs and spoken word combine with sublime harmonies on songs with a keen sense of social justice.
This EP is packed with acerbic commentary on topics like racism, animal rights, and normalised sexual harassment.
Two tracks, Internalised and No (Doesn’t Mean Convince Me), were released as singles earlier this year.
Opener Internalised shares their story of navigating queerphobia within a relationship, and the guilt and shame it can evoke.
Lyrics such as “Long hair, flowing dress/Am I the woman society wants me to be?” examine expectations based on looks, and how liberating finding the courage to ignore such preconceptions can be.
No (Doesn’t Mean Convince Me) is a powerful dark, gritty song, with a brooding Nirvana-like bassline.
Women’s anthem
Verses like “I’m the prey/You’re the hunter/Anonymous/Not responsible” are made even more poignant by Sarah Everard’s recent murder.
There’s palpable anger as Naz sings: “I’m done/With feeling like a piece of meat/I’m human too/It’s time/This normalised behaviour/Is put to sleep.”
If the Reclaim These Streets movement which is campaigning for women’s safety needs an anthem, it’s right here.
Exotica is a defiant track about racism, or, as Naz puts it, being a “bird of paradise from an alien land, always reminded I don’t belong”.
The grunge-influenced We Are The Enemy questions why some animals are pets and others destined for the dinner table.
An emotive conclusion arrives with Flux, examining the breakdown of a long-distance relationship after being reunited.
Love is likened to a river’s changing flow, before concluding: “Space and time made me realise/This river has run dry.”
These are wonderful songs with intelligent, thought-provoking lyrics, beautifully performed. Is a full-length Naz & Ella album of similar high quality too much to hope for?
- (De)Humanise is released on 7 May, the final Bandcamp Friday of 2021. You can get a CD or download from Naz & Ella’s page HERE.
- Check out Naz & Ella’s Soundcloud page HERE for their regular podcast, and some beguiling covers of songs by artists who have influenced them.
From Nirvana’s Heart Shaped Box to Kate Bush’s Running Up That Hill and CSNY’s Ohio, they’re well worth a listen.
