Miya Folick has one of the most emotive voices in music. Since the 2015 release of ‘Strange Darling’, the Cali musician’s debut EP, Folick has seemingly had the ability to soothe and heal, all while threatening to move mountains with an unmistakable, earth-shattering roar. On her debut album, ‘Premonitions’, that voice is pushed – thrillingly – to its absolute limits.
Despite her technical proficiency, the album’s loosest moments make for its most memorable ones. ‘Stop Talking’, with its chip-punk melodies and shapeshifting chorus, remixes and repaints the vibrancy of St Vincent’s neon-tinged 2017 album ‘MASSEDUCTION’. Those fond of a French exit (ditching a party early without saying goodbye) will find kinship with the self-care preaching ‘Leave The Party’ (“I take myself home / Turn off my cell phone / Take off all of my clothes / Put on some disco”).
Those sugary hits of pop magic linger longer than they ought to; Folick knows how to reach heights that few others’ voices and songwriting can reach. ‘Baby Girl’ is a heart-rending tale of devotion (“Oh, lying on the bathroom floor / Laughing our heads off / Oh, crying in the alleyway Your head in my lap”), while the sharp pop production of ‘Dead Body’ and ‘Thingmajig’ allow space for an artist who continues to explore with leaps and bounds.
It’s a rare feat for an album to paint a picture that’s broad but intimate at the same time, but Folick has done it here. Her voice, songwriting and ascent are unstoppable; one would do best not to ignore her.
