Emma McGrath remains one of the few singers who can blend pop structures with leveling writing. The UK-based singer-songwriter brings a much needed depth to her music in an era where each and every genre is saturated with artists barely skating by. The sixth cut of her sophomore EP of the same name, "Silent Minds," is a testament to the power of range and pacing. McGrath's earthy vocals build over a bed of urgent keys and rhythmic guitar and bass into an arena chorus. The swells hook you until you're suddenly sinking into the velvet of the soundscape.
All of the soaring vocals are harmonies wind around the instrumentation, dizzying our ear before McGrath prepares for a heartfelt landing. Evocative keys and skittering vocal effects close out the cut, giving us a much needed sense of serenity.
"'Silent Minds' took a long time to finish and it went through a lot of re-working until it felt right, McGrath tells us. "It has a funny structure, but it works with the song so that's the way it stayed. The lyric 'Silent Minds' is a lyric I always seem to come back to and I've used it in a handful of songs. I came up with it when I was at school and I use it to describe the people in life who struggle to sympathize with others."
"The story behind the song I guess is about being in a bit of a panic and thinking that no one really cares about you," she continues. "Sometimes in your mind your struggles might seem really obvious, yet still no one sees it and that can be really hard to deal with, especially when you're surrounded by 'silent minded' people that you don't feel you can talk to."
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