by Philip Moss

William Blackaby shows mastery of the ‘extended play’ format – pulling together two short, special collections that create real anticipation for a debut full length

Led by two infectious singles – What’s On The TV? and Semolina – Blackaby’s debut EP was an ideal entry point to the London songwriter’s world. Wearing his influences proudly on the sleeve of his crumpled pocket tee, it was packed with life affirming energy and naive romanticism – pulling together the scuzzy pop of early Blur and the underrated melodicism of Blaine Harrison’s best record, Twenty One.

And the lucky dip of potential comparisons continue on Everything’s Delicious – with bits of Peter, Bjorn and John, Arthur Russell, Syd Barrett and The Magnetic Fields all bubbling to the surface at various points. But this is the clever bit: Blackaby brings all this to the table, but creates his own world. Though, the school gate reflections of Stevenson, and summer kickabouts of Sweet Lemonade, show a songwriter whose eye isn’t always on the ‘big’ of moments – zooming in on the lingering scents attached to his feelings, as oppose to just scampering back through his childhood diaries for the standout events.

If pressed to choose a favourite cut here, it would be Warm and Sweet, which really should have been in the running to take the title of this collection. Still of the same home spun, lo-fi aesthetic as the rest of the EP, there’s an abstraction to the arrangement that heads slighter further left field than its companion tracks – with Rebecka Reinhard’s backing vocals adding to the ruminative feel.

Delicious indeed – delightful, warm and sweet too – this is a special EP. And it creates real anticipation for a full length set of musings from William Blackaby.

Everything’s Delicious is out now on vinyl through Hand in Hive. Check out our chat with the songwriter here.

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