By Paddy Kinsella

We’ve all had arguments with a romantic partner where no side has given in, and the barracks staunchly remain up; the tension hanging in the air for days. Glasgow-born songwriter, Neev, tackles that universal subject on new single, Excuse Me. For the most part, the guitar is peripheral, just in sight, as Neev’s comforting, homely vocal takes centre stage. It’s the heat on your legs from a slowly burning log fire. Though spectral voices weave in and out, appearing and vanishing, they only truly unite when together they sing, ‘I’m not a saint / You’re not a saint / I’m not a saint / Baby this not OK‘. Like a military cadence, the voices repeat themselves, growing louder and louder as they encroach on enemy territory. The chorus that emerges from this deep choral hum is ironically complete, bursting with colour. Yet the battle remains unresolved, ‘Maybe I’m a sinner / but you’re not a saint‘, she concludes or rather doesn’t, the cyclical pattern set in motion again.

While an agreement might not have been reached here, upon listening to this and the other three tracks that make up Neev’s recently released EP, Forgiving Light, I think we can all agree that Neev is a special talent well worth watching.

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