Sola - Thinline

Words by Tom F-H.

With plays on BBC Radio 1, a collaboration with Canadian Producer BoomDice, and a significant presence on TikTok, Sola has come a long way since I last reviewed her live performance at Below The Bridge festival in Zombie Shack pre-pandemic. Her synth-heavy sound is meticulously produced and soulful, powerful vocals are weaved in throughout, bringing a high-fidelity audio experience that is both artful and catchy. This is no less more prominent than in her latest single – ‘Thinline’ – set to release on the 25th November.

A pop bop, as described by her press release, Thinline begins with lo-fi hip-hop motifs: an arpeggiated scale with soft piano chords provide a pushed back intro, and a perfect backing track for her vocals. As Thinline progresses, the synth layers thicken, and the drum machine builds up to a big, open chorus. Sola’s vocals become a pop style with a heavy tonal influence of soul. Each section is different enough to remain interesting throughout the track, and it is easy to get lost in the different layers, rhythms, and motifs from various pushed-back synth instruments.

Sola describes herself as ‘alt-pop’, and this genre defines her lyrics and minor reprieves - the latter of which can be heard after each chorus and at the end of the song, in which the dynamics drop and she confronts the core meanings of her lyrical content.

“You know I’m lost in my head”.

In this way, Sola is rather unique in the wider pop sphere, as she confronts her stresses and troubles openly. Her song-writing is hopeful, but conflicted and generally mellow, and Thinline is not just a groovy ‘pop bop’, but a commentary on a personal experience, which makes it so much more compelling.

Sola will release Thinline will release on November 25th via Soul Kitchen Records. Thanks to Max for reaching out, I really enjoyed this one.