Posted: 16th August, 2021 by The Editor
Samia’s The Baby was an auspicious debut. It blended, at its best moments, infectious pop and restrained indie for a tasteful and subtle LP. Her latest, the Scout EP, follows up on The Baby’s promise by delivering her four best songs yet.
The delicate “As You Are,” in more cautious hands, would be a closer; here, it’s the introductory track. It’s spartan and tender, and its central lyric (“when somebody loves you / they take you as you are”) feels less corny than heartwarming in Samia’s quivery upper register. Scout gets increasingly upbeat from there; the booming piano pop of “Show Up” is likely the closest the EP gets to the general feel of The Baby and is perhaps the best execution of that sound in her catalog thus far.
“The Promise” is maybe the furthest from that sound; it’s a straight-up electropop song, given some flavor by Samia’s near-deadpan vocal performance and a wonderful guest spot from Jelani Aryeh. It’s rare for a cover to be a highlight on any project, but “The Promise” is a phenomenal closer, giving Samia a chance to flex her more outwardly pop muscles. Scout is, in a few ways, a rather bold release for Samia, but it pays off in her tightest collection of songs yet.
