Sophia
Oh My Love

With their signing to EMI-Cityslang, Sophia present an album ("People Are Like Seasons"), a sound—harder, edgier, rock—and even an artwork (the album cover stylistically recalls "Scenes From The Second Storey") that cannot leave listeners indifferent, especially those who fell in love with the more American and poetic Lennon-like Sophia sound of albums like "Fixed Water" or the European slow-core "The Infinite Circle".

And the suspicion of a push towards a no longer direction(less) is strong, especially in tracks like "If Something Is Gonna Come" (Noise-Core/River Song/Dinosaur...?) "Darkness (Another Shade In Your Black)" (industrial sound with Bristol rhythmic inflections and hyper-vocal effects) and even "Desert Song N.2" (style: Mogwai-like post-rock, title: unmistakably God Machine); in this collection of tracks that globally redefine the stylistic dimension of Robin Proper-Sheppard's project, the leading single "Oh My Love" stands out (to be followed by "Holidays Are Nice" and the mentioned "Desert Song N.2", which in some cases will precede it).

Much has already been said about the piece from which Sophia's first official video was drawn: "bitter rock", "a perfect lovesong in the style of dEUS", "a track with an unrelenting pace, with a God Machine-like insistent bass and a lethal riff", lucidly (Kosmogabri) "a song that wounds the soul and hurts" on DeBaser.it: beyond the bounds of authenticity, the effectiveness of a small classic must be recognized.

However, this EP would hold value solely for "Oh My Love" were it not for the B-sides: "Genius", calmer, appears in a slightly different format than in the "Collection:One" compilation, "I Hope I'm Not Falling In Love With You" is a cover of Tom Waits, thus channeling Proper within the Cave-Cohen-Waits axis (despite his higher voice, reminiscent in timbre of Perry Farrell), showcasing, as already in "Jealous Guy" , how Sophia can make others' songs their own without distorting their essence, which means spectacular interpretive qualities; but another absolute jewel makes owning this EP worthwhile: "Someday", an invaluable gem as elusive to a distracted listener, a score for acoustic guitar, strings, and keyboards, gaining even more value as it reconnects, as already in "Bastards" and "Technology Won't Save Us", Sophia's experience with that of the inventors of the Cathedral of Sound, God Machine, this time grafting onto the more intimate side of their work ("Purity","The Train Song", "Seven").

A stunning piece, incredibly not published on the album, but that's okay... the pleasure of discovering such hidden gems has no equal.

H.B.