Svrcina - 2nd EP

From many of Svrcina's past releases, she's been known to have a very intense and dramatic style known as "cinapop." For her second, self-titled EP, she went in a direction that made her songs especially ambient; with several of them being previously released singles that resemble that similarly dark style. For some, however, she shows some expansion and takes a brighter electro-pop approach. The first track, "Whispers," is an example of this.

As stated in an article on nashvilleunsigned.com, "Whispers" was largely inspired by Svrcina's experience of studying abroad in China. This shows in the chorus's lyrics, "stop with all the Chinese whispers;" but instrumentally, it shines through in the very beginning. Before anything else, you hear a traditional string instrument that's soon joined by others, notably percussion, and then the electronic instrumentation smoothly comes in. The traditional instruments are most present during the verses and provide a pleasant blend of genres. The song itself is upbeat and catchy in a way that's also light and slightly airy. "Steady" is a similar style, but more purely electronic. It sounds like there's an unnecessary use of auto-tune that's placed over Svrcina's vocals at various points throughout the song. In an interview with Lemonade Magazine, she did state that it was important to her to use her natural vocals, so this was likely just experimental. Even so, it's always been a personal opinion that audible auto-tune rarely adds anything to a song other than distracting noise. Instead, it takes away from the raw texture of the singer's voice that can be such an important element in music. "Deeper" is another light electro-pop track, just slightly more mellow; and there are hints of traditional instruments again. The overall musical tone sounds very uplifting and freeing. But the lyrics, such as "Free, lost in the sea, drowning to breathe, pull me down deeper, Waves crash over me, sweep under my feet, won't you pull me down deeper," suggest that it's really about going through and being overwhelmed by stressful times.

The remaining tracks go in a direction closer to the dark element of the previous EP and have a much more haunting atmosphere. "Who Are You" has an especially intense eeriness and includes some traditional-sounding instruments from the beginning that give the song a satisfyingly chilling aesthetic. Personally, it always brings a pitch-black forest setting to mind. "Astronomical," "Island," and "Sweeter Place" all carry a slower, sadder, sentimental tone and rhythm. They contain a great deal of beautiful emotion; from her flowing, often reverberated and/or harmonizing vocals to the full, powerful instrumentation and production that completely engulf your mind and really make you feel the song and the feeling that Svrcina's conveying.

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