Review of ‘What you made me’ EP from Cindy-Louise
Netherlands based South African singer-songwriter, Cindy-Louise is back! On the 2nd February she dropped her latest hard hitting offering titled “What you made me”. The EP consists of only three tracks, but they’re not just songs. They’re stories. Nothing ever comes out of this lady for the sake of a release. Her music is her brutal truth, her essence… her soul! You don’t just hear Cindy-Louise, you’re going to feel her. Each track a captivating chapter of a book you cannot put down. Because it’s your story too.
‘Innocence’, the opening chapter if you will, demands your attention from the first line. The song is like a controlled flame that ignites into a full- blown blaze. This conveys Cindy-Louises’ strong emotions beautifully. Fueled by spectacular vocal skill, her personal pain flickers and burns through heartfelt lyrics, and as the song builds you feel her ponderings escalate into a conflagration. Turning to rage as she burns it all down, then rises from those flames that once consumed her. Like a phoenix. Re-born from her own experiences. Scarred maybe, but definitely stronger and wiser for it.
In opening, ‘What you made me’ brings forth a strong and intentional Evanescence vibe. At the same time, I can’t deny the underlying ambience of a celtic chant, whether intentional or not. The background vocals, a beautiful and emotive contradiction that enforces and feeds the emotion of the song. The repetitive “This is what you made me,” tells us that Cindy-Louises’ transformation was not always a choice, but a survival mechanism. Something we can all relate to when “sorry” doesn’t fix the pain. The pain ultimately changes us and forever hardens our hearts to a degree. A self -preservation of the psyche. This is the ultimate power anthem of the scorned.
‘Nothing hurts anymore,’ showcases Cindy-Louises’ unabashed honesty and emotional transparency. The core foundation to her making such meaningful and relatable music. I hear her speaking to the bullied child, those crushed by failed relationships, those filled with self- doubt and existential angst, and I know this one’s for us!
We are all our own worst enemies when we stay stuck in our own heads, filled with self – depreciating thoughts adopted and indoctrinated by others. Cindy-Louise has been there! The way out… it’s the thought of living for herself (ourselves) instead. This is where the power lies. Processing the pain is futile if we don’t use it, even if we aren’t quite who we were before.
A wonderful empowering EP that is raw with emotion and relatable to most!
Stream ‘What You Made Me’ Here
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