24/05/2024 saw the release of William Cawleys latest EP, ‘PoV Pop’. You may have heard about this EP from my reviews of his singles, ‘Natalie’ and ‘Regine/Or’. I can’t wait to review the rest of the tracks…
- 2 Girls
I think it has to be said that the opening track on this EP is my favourite. It has many great features, that just seem to blend together beautifully. Overall, it creates a Strokes sounding track, with a chilled out yet rock feel to it. It opens with an arpeggio sounding, with a warm clean sound. This is soon followed by a bassline which I am obsessed with! Not long after the drums commence, so do the vocals, and the backing vocals are a great touch to this song. The delivery of the vocals takes a laid-back approach, and it’s fitting for this track. I admire the breakdown in the instrumental, it also gives the bassline it’s time to shine. My favourite line from this track is, “These fantasies in my mind, made me feel so behind”.
2. 5Ft 10
This song flows smoothly from the previous track, but it has a significantly brighter sound to it, and a noticeable upbeat tempo. It begins with a vocal riff, and a warm guitar riff, which is then met by the quick foot tapping drums. In the first verse, I rate the feature of the vocals being delivered on the strokes of the rhythm guitar. Lyrically, the writer appears to be comparing himself to other men, wanting to be, “Just like them”. It appears like he is chasing a lost cause with a woman, and he doesn’t know why he tries with her. A noticeable feature in this track is the switch between softly sung vocals, and harsh aggressive delivery of the lyrics. My favourite line from this track is, “I don’t know why I try, even though the end is nigh”.
3. Natalie
If I thought the transition between tracks one and two were smooth, then I was in for a surprise for it between tracks two and three. The energy is also carried over from the previous track, with a Beach Boys sounding guitar being heard, and knowing Cawley, he loves a Beach Boys feature! Evidently, this track is about a girl that the writer feels strongly for, but there is an uncertainty in the air about their future, which puts the writer on edge. “Natalie, you send me straight to casualty”, suggests that she is all to blame for the hurt he is feeling. Progressing into the second verse, the writer questions if his approach towards this girl is too forward, by asking her to start a family, and now, feels things may have taken an awkward turn. My favourite line from this track is, “Natalie, lets start a family, as I ask so casually”.
4. Regine/Or?
There is an instant recognisable difference in moods between this track and the last, but it still has a fast-flowing rhythm, which is driven by the drums. Angry vocals and lyrics create this moody tone, with the writer expressing his frustration at the character of the track. I get the sense that it’s about a breakup, or a downfall of a relationship. For example, the writer states that whenever he hears this character speak, “it’s like razor wire”. My favourite feature from this track is the guitar picking pattern and progression, it’s incredibly impressive, and if you want to hear this isolated, you should check it out on Cawley’s Instagram page, @williamcawley69. My favourite line from this track is, “It’s how it is, it’s how it goes”.
