60s hippie pop meets west coast indie from the 90s on Essie’s gorgeous new single ‘Big Cities’. A lush, warm, and serene piece that blends different eras in a single delectable musical journey, ‘Big Cities’ drips with artistic character and confidence that is growing rarer by the day.

Essie is Essie Laugharne, singer and songwriter from Biggleswade, England, and she immediately grabs the attention with her gentle-aggressive guitar swoons on ‘Big Cities’. Sung about living in the big city from the perception of one’s parents, the song is with its fair share of stirring melancholy, and Essie’s delightfully roomy vocals drive home the song’s tangible sense of intimacy.

‘Big Cities’ is lush and warm. From chords that are familiar, smoothly strummed on a smooth-sounding rhythm guitar, the song’s guitar work goes swiftly from Essie’s lo-fi and immediately catchy riff, with its rapid bends and bluesy undertones, to rich strums and arpeggios. The reverb-drenched tone adds a ton of character to the song. The snaking bass line underneath goes perfectly hand-in-hand with the thin-sounding drums, mixed in the true spirit of home-recorded indie.

Beautifully written, the song’s structure is intricate, and the drive is impeccable, flowing like a gentle stream, turning the song into more of a nuanced ballad than your run of the mill pop tune, showcasing Essie as the talented songwriter she is. With a mix that’s as soft as a pillow, the song’s thunderous depth has ample space to shine, making for a delightfully well-balanced listen.

‘Big Cities’ is a simply gorgeous piece of indie that benefits from its singer’s impassioned vocals that call back to legendary figures in folk such as Karen Dalton and Vashti Bunyan. A truly artful display of songwriting talent.