
Elly-May Barnes is the daughter of rock star Jimmy Barnes and has done everything from backup vocals with her father to cabaret. Now, she’s launched her solo career with her version of Radiohead’s “Creep.” This iteration of the tune is oceanic, with waves of different timbres coming and going in the intro. Piano, panned synths, and a gentle rattle-snake-like shaker all have their say. And then comes her voice.
Barnes’s tone is centered, with a mournful navy blue feeling to it. Her “Creep” has a surprising amount of satisfying crunchy dissonant notes, especially after one minute in. And as we make our way to the chorus, it doesn’t crescendo as we might expect- It stays placid and calm as if it were it were a verse….the slow burn has yet to blossom.
Next, the drum kit takes up more sonic space, the guitars get more epic, and the next chorus lands really hard. She begins belting in her head voice and then transforms the tune into a rock ballad by the bridge. Barnes takes it back down to a whisper by the end, not only showing off her vocal versatility, but pulling on our heartstrings.
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