CLOVES - BETTER NOW

If someone asks me who are my favourite new artists, Cloves is always one at the top of the list, the Australian born London based singer songwriter first caught my attention with her debut EP 'XIII' last November. Particularly her song 'Don't Forget About Me' led me to become completely entranced by her music. Having that song on repeat for months on end, I am very happy to now see she has given us a first taste of what she's been working on. Cloves AKA Kaity Dunstan is a 20 year old girl who has continuously impressed everyone including myself with her deep, melancholy and mature vocal abilities. Dunstan finds singers with unique vocal tones some of her biggest inspirations, noting Etta James and Amy Winehouse as important influences in her musical style. Although she is very young, Cloves shows a remarkable maturity through her lyrics and her vocal talents, her fragile soul tinged tones spinning spine tingling tales and stories. There's something about the singer songwriter genre where we see these artists able to tell stories of their personal experiences so openly and easily. This is shown even clearer with young singer songwriters such as Billie Marten and Cloves who are still growing up and experiencing these new feelings with a sense of innocence and naivety.

Her lyrics describe the lessons she's learned from these youthful experiences and provide a snapshot of life as a young woman still figuring out her place in the world. This newest release 'Better Now' is a product of this and presents another glimpse into Dunstan's life as a young woman struggling with love and romance. The song is based around an internal dialogue she was having in her mind at the time on whether to continue the relationship or just give up. With this new single, Cloves remains true to what we have come to expect from her, there’s the same honesty and rawness to the lyrics, and her captivating vocals remain unforgettable. Throughout the song and the lyrics, her emotions spill out and tells a story of love, conflicted feelings and healing (Start with a kiss, end with a fight/So I know that you have your doubts, and I'll leave but I swear that I'm better now/Then I hear you leave and I'm happy, just for a moment I'm free). With her bluesy and melancholic tone of voice, few would believe this singer to be only 20 years old. While the track is in keeping with the musical style and emotive songs Clove's has released in the past, this track also shows a darker side to her music and gives an indication of how her musical style has progressed and matured in just one year. Citing such recent influences as Alabama Shakes and The Black Keys, we can begin to expect Clove's music to become more bluesy, wrapped in angsty heartache while still holding that emotion that many have come to expect wth her music.

Through this new record, it is interesting to see Cloves both stick to what she knows best, creating a song that is full of raw emotion and tells a personal tale of inner conflict and heartbreak, while also presenting a new dimension to her music. The track showcases a more confident approach from Clove's with powerful, punching and abrupt drum hits that turn the rhythm of the record on its head. Although still very young, her maturity and the melancholia expressed within her music and her lyrics as well as her confidence in knowing the exact path she wants her music to take should be more than enough for anyone to recognise her as a profoundly remarkable talent and a highly anticipated musician destined for huge popularity.