Chloe Collins drops New EP
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/chloecollinsmusic/
Chloe Collins started singing when she was just a toddler, people took notice, and she has never stopped. When she was 8 she learned a few guitar chords to a Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) song that she liked and wanted to learn how to play herself. She took to the guitar quickly and in just a few weeks was singing and learning to play songs by her idols like Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran and Katy Perry. Soon Chloe started writing songs, and then started performing at talent shows and coffee houses. Chloe now has a new EP of 5 songs.
These songs verge on a pop sound but contain so much more, including a strong country feel. Chloe writes all the songs herself and recorded this EP in the most appropriate area to do so in Nashville. But make no mistake, this isn’t country rock either, it’s much more of the singer/songwriter genre than rock or Americana is offering these days. There is an honest quality in her vocal delivery that oozes much future potential. All of these tracks are excellent examples of where Chloe comes from, and the topper is her level of maturity, as if she’s been singing twice as long she’s been alive. The CD opens with “All Over Again,” which deals with typical relationship hang ups, the where’s the why’s and when’s of interacting together, including misadventures. This is an overall mid-tempo narrative vocal performance, with great lyrics. At first listen there is no categorizing the music here, other than to say it’s vibrant, bouncy and fresh. It also shows some folk potential, but this is essentially contemporary pop. It serves up a great opening energy and sets the tone for the following tracks. “Rearview Mirror” is another catchy tune, this one is all about detachment from everything you don’t want to stick around for. It deals with looking back after making key decisions to leave home and grow up. This is where the vocals start to shine their own light on the situation, with some great falsetto touches. This is another excellent song, perfectly consistent with the opener, but also fairly contrasting with it. One listen to this cut and you’re onto what appears to be a fine talent indeed. It also makes way for the more up-tempo rocking of “Forget Your Name,” which sheds off some of the more country vibes on offer. This does contain some cliché’s, but the good kind that makes a song, rather than brakes one. Either way it’s one of the better tracks, with probably the most heartfelt lyrics contained on the EP, especially for fans of traditional country music. “My Goodbye” is both a high and a low point, and about the only track that slips in the area of production values, but to its credit there is a certain degree of pedestrian sound called for as well, and the cake goes to the chorus here, infectious vocals without a single doubt. It’s amazing how it misses nothing besides the slightly more polished sound of the rest of the disc. It’s also amazing how it still manages to match the consistency of the rest of these songs. At this point everything checks out so well, the talent is there, the lyrics and vocal delivery are really second to none for such a young artist. This is a voice you can’t dislike with songs that add up the same. You don’t come across this every day, but more and more it has been what the talent hunt of the times is all about, and that’s how Chloe fits right into the current musical landscape. She’s cut right out for it. The whole sweet release it topped off with “New Nightmares,” which is probably the most up-tempo track, however not in the same vein to be found on the others. This is likely where the pop aspects find their feet the most, as it contains very little evidence of country music, and goes much more into the Katy Perry school of young artists.
This isn’t anything like the other tracks, as it takes the energy and adventurism up a notch. The overall consensus is that Chloe is very good and will go a long way at this rate if she keeps it up. Another talent to her credit is how deep of a lyric writer she is, without sounding like she is so young. And to be 15 years of age and able to convey that is not only difficult, it’s a rarest of rare traits to possess. Don’t be surprised if you hear Chloe’s name in mainstream circles soon enough, as this EP certainly reaches the goal to get her to the next level. High points: Songwriting and performance
Low points: Production
MTV: https://www.mtv.com/artists/chloe-collins/
Larry Toering
5/5