Matilda Mann's 'You Look Like You Can't Swim' Is For Anyone Who Has Ever Felt Lost in the Deep End
Photo: Caity Krone
London-born artist Matilda Mann further proves herself as an extraordinary talent with the release of her latest EP, You Look Like You Can't Swim. She captivates listeners with impactful lyricism and timeless, charming sonics in this newest collection, taking all who listen on a journey through a range of all too relatable and heartbreaking experiences.
Mann says of the EP, "When I started writing music, it was all heavily based off of female folk artists. I wrote most of my songs just me and a guitar, and all I wanted to add was harmonies and strings. Over the past few years, I've loved progressing and experimenting with different types of genres and musical instruments and working with other musicians and producers, but I've had such an urge to create a small group of songs that feel so simple, vulnerable, romantic, and emotional. The kind of songs I would've dreamed to make and release when I was 16. These 5 songs are the foundation of me as a songwriter and an artist. I'm so excited to build off them and give you so many other sides of me and my music next year."
The title track opens the EP with soft acoustic guitar riffs and string plucks setting the tone. Mann's warm, lullaby-esque vocals shed light on the narrator's psyche, citing that she "...used to be the fish that lives inside a tank / These days I seem to be a morsel made of sand / And I'm just sick of being honest / When honestly, I never understand." In the verses, she wrestles with overwhelming feelings of anxiety and worthlessness, asking on the emotional chorus for someone to "Dress me up, tell me how to think / I don't wanna get it wrong," admitting that she's "been a fish too long, who can't swim."
In the previously-released romantic ballad "In Plain Sight," Mann uses a beautiful blend of melodies and lyrics to paint a picture so inspiring, sweet, and genuinely captivating from start to end. In it, she invites us to revel in the magic of finding the perfect person hidden right before our eyes. "Some would say it's obsessive, but I think it's damn impressive that I found you hidden in plain sight," she sings. She opens up her heart and soul to remind listeners of the sweet magic that is part of love and how it can put a smile on your face that can last the whole day. The record then transitions to the wistful "Margaux," which sees Mann ruminate on the absence of someone she used to love while soothing vocals and intricate guitar lines frame the nostalgic sonics. Listeners are then brought into the heartstring-pulling world of "If Only," where Mann, backed by a dreamy soundscape full of violin strings, guitars, and twinkling piano notes, wishes to be loved and be someone her love interest wants.
"The Day That I Met You" is a tender finale to the endearing and vulnerable body of work. The track oozes with honesty, aiming for something timeless and held together by the purity and emotion in her voice. The arrangement tiptoes around the crossroads of jazz and pop, waltzing rhythmic lines over light acoustic guitar chords. Mann carefully provides space in this delicate soundscape, allowing every subtle thrum of a cello, hum, or harmony to soar in the expanse of the ambiance. Mann allows every note to become nuanced by composing with such a light hand, contributing as much emotional value as any lyric. "I forgave the world the day that I met you...," she sings.
Listen to You Look Like You Can't Swim below:
