Bishop Briggs

Recommended for:

• Pre-gaming songs, or medium/small parties

• Fans of strong lead vocalists 

Pros:

• Powerful female vocalist 

• Lots of energy 

• Mixed influence 

Cons

• Traditional pop music formatting 

• Not long enough

• Redundant production

Island Records has digitally released Bishop Brigg’s first EP. The 24-year-old singer broke into the pop scene with her hit “River”. This EP contains 6 songs, including her smash hit.

Listen to “River”. Stop what you are doing, and listen to it. Right now. I’ll wait...

So you get it. You now understand Bishop Briggs. I HAVE to start with her vocals. To be upfront about it, I have not heard any of her live performances. However, I can fully attest to her recorded vocal sound, and hot damn. Her control on slower/softer parts is impressive and delightful. Analogously, she can pack a hard punch of power and soul. In “River” alone, she whispers, sings piano, sings forte, growls, and everything in between. For pop female vocals, she has it. The songwriting is not half bad either; I just would not claim it makes the album. 

What else is good? How about her mix of influence. You get everything from guitar, organ, and electric piano, to effected vocals and synthetic rhythm. She is one of the exciting artists who are blurring the lines between standard recorded instrumentation, and completely electronic music. There is also a healthy mix of ballads, powerful songs, and in-track dynamics.

I have to point out that this EP is not quite perfect. Any artist that is more reliant on the vocalist, with regard to the overall tone, falls into the same pit. It is hard to listen to a full album. The work was only six songs, and they are good songs. Nonetheless, 21 minutes later and I was done and did not want more. This same effect is felt in soul groups. If a soul group has a dynamite vocalist, you want to hear their pipes, but only to a certain extent. The best artists find a balance between vocals and instrumentation. Sometimes the backing is accompaniment, sometimes it IS the song. Though its production is interesting and often energetic, this EP uses the music as a mere placeholder for the vocals, not as a canvas for more expression. An instrumental song thrown in could have helped dilute the vocal density of this EP. But through and through- this was a fun listen that I would recommend.

Favorite Song: “River” …. I know I’m basic, but this song is a BANGER

8/10