In an achingly vulnerable take on the art of storytelling, Pennsylvania-based singer-songwriter EĐĐIE delivers a gut-punch of a record in his new single, "Letters," that almost quite literally reads between the lines of an actual letter penned to him. An indie-pop, alt-pop, and a dash of commercial sheen dweller, "Letters" is as raucous as it is polished, demonstrating EĐĐIE's capacity to harmonize story and melody with tone-perfect honesty.
Fronting the group Nothing But A Nightmare, EĐĐIE is far from a stranger to the spotlight, yet this solo venture feels like an intimate experience as if we're reading a page from his journal. To hear her singing is to know that her music captures the arc of a feeling in real-time, not simply summarizes it after the fact. The effect is akin to an experience that feels familiar as if you were reading something you shouldn't be reading but can't help reading.
The chorus, a sincere and rhetorical wail of "Where did those words go?" is both gut-punch and catharsis. It's a response to what's been spoken or a reaction to what's been lost in translation. The way "EĐĐIE" juxtaposes the clarity of the letter with the chaos it leaves in its wake perfectly encapsulates the pushing and pulling of relationships that fade but never entirely go away. "Letters" is glossy without being overproduced. Its power comes from restraint, allowing the sentiment to be front and center. It's a light touch, as if the emotion has been through the wash once or twice before you hear it, one that EĐĐIE's gentle, intelligent approach to their vocal encourages to linger long.
This is EĐĐIE at his most human, a solo artist unafraid to mine the silence between the words, the ache of not finishing sentences. In "Letters," he demonstrates that openness is the whole point. Whether you're heartbroken or just longing for something real in a world of artificial sounds, "Letters" and the emotional risk are worth listening to. EĐĐIE has something to say. This time, it arrived in the mail. And we're all the better for reading it.
Discover EĐĐIE on Instagram