Felicity Vanderveen was just 11 when she started writing and recording music, and the Brisbane artist has since found it the ideal medium for honest, no-holds-barred self-expression. Nerve—her sophomore EP under the FELIVAND moniker—was written during a period of frustration and self-doubt. It’s a collection of introspective odes that blend gauzy pop with neo-soul that sounds far sweeter than their themes suggest. Instead of pushing against her grievances, Vanderveen leans into them, pouring her innermost thoughts into these six songs. On opener “Ebb & Flow”, she struggles with the dizzying ideals and constant disappointments of online relationships. &I see you on my phone screen more than I’d like, now it’s after nine,& she sings. &No matter how hard I try, I never find paradise.& On “Trajectory” she expresses feeling overwhelmed by her emotions, singing directly to a former friend whose toxic antics tested her kindness and patience: “There’s nothing left here to restore/I didn’t ask about your victories/Take me off your trajectory.” Vanderveen has the ability to present scathing critiques of old friends and past lovers (“Midsummer Sun”) atop soulful, rather comforting soundscapes influenced by ’90s alt-pop and warm R&B (“L/D”). Even in the breezier, more upbeat moments where she pauses for self-reflection (“Gone”), Vanderveen is candid in her observations.
--iTunes editor