Self-proclaimed ‘Rhinestone Cowgirl’, country singer Lucy Tay has released her first EP, ‘Doing Just Fine’, giving us an ideal insight into her mind, abilities and capabilities, all in four songs.
Opening with ‘The Hell I Do’, Tay sings of a potential love interest, with underlying hints of western influence, both instrumentally and lyrically. There’s a jolly guitar and fast-paced drumbeat with a bouncy bassline throughout, accompanied by a constant twangy guitar slide line that twirls around just above the steady bass. The track is a typical country tune, heavily influenced by Americana, despite Lucy Tay being from Scotland herself. It closes out with a slidy, twangy guitar solo before circling back to the chorus one more time.
The second track, titled after the EP, feels more melancholy from the very start. Though it follows that same country storytelling style, the pace is slowed down. Tay sings about struggling to have things figured out, while also appreciating how far she’s come, over slower guitar strums, that same bouncy bass and drum beat, and a distant, reverbed slide guitar.
‘What Could’ve Been’ follows a similar pattern to the previous track – once again, it’s slower and more melancholy, but this time reminiscing on a past relationship. It has those slow, reverby guitar strums alongside slide guitar melodies intertwining, with a distant, delayed hand clap. The drums are reverbed and distant, giving the track space to breathe and allowing the focus to remain on Tay’s vocals. It leans more towards pop than country this time. There’s a build-up in the middle-eight section halfway through the song, highlighting Lucy Tay’s vocal range as she holds a higher note with heavy reverb. It breaks the song up, stopping it from feeling repetitive. Similarly to the first track, there’s a dramatic slide guitar solo, bringing that country influence back into the mix.
The EP closes out on a cheerier note, with a more upbeat tune reminiscent of the first track. ‘Your Love Is A Gun’ is built on a sharp, clear drumbeat with a jaggedy guitar perfectly in time with it, complementing each other. This one feels more rock-ish, while still having that country influence scattered throughout, particularly with the same reverbed slide guitar. Tay sings about a love interest, showcasing her vocal range once again. It feels like a perfect, steady ending to her debut EP.
Doing Just Fine’ feels like a strong introduction to Lucy Tay and the sound she’s beginning to build for herself. Across the four tracks, she balances country, Americana, pop and rock influences while keeping her vocals and storytelling at the centre. Across the 4 songs, it gives us a good glimpse into what Tay is capable of, and leaves plenty of room to see where she takes the sound next.
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