Merseyside-based indie musician Drew Friel has been on our radar since the release of his endlessly playable single ‘Breakfast Bar’ late last year. Since then, he has been hard at work, slowly but surely releasing what has now become his debut EP ‘Toby Carver’.
The EP is comprised of four singles: ‘Breakfast Bar’ the opening track, which although catchy, is an incredibly self aware track that shows the authenticity of Friel’s songwriting; ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’, which features a notable ebb and flow of tempo creating a fascinating unpredictability, losing pace during choruses before catching up in the verses; ‘Don’t Run For Office’ which picks us back up, leaning more into a synth-driven and layered vocal effect which slowly winds down towards the end of the song, in anticipation of the final track; and ‘Your Top Ten List’, which is rather gentle in comparison to the rest of the EP, there is a lightness and rawness to the song which steadily brings us to a close.
The bright guitar-driven tracks are reminiscent of ‘90s Britpop tracks with the use of acoustic guitars layered with drum machines and warm and upbeat production. The tracks are further enhanced by Friel’s rich vocals giving them a well-rounded and polished feel. Despite the lightness and catchiness of the music, the lyrics are surprisingly darker in tone; take for instance the opening line of the second track ‘You Never Give Me Your Money’: “I’m struggling now/ when it comes to matters of virtue/ I know how much/ I hurt you”.
Despite this being his debut EP, Friel is rather impressively paving a way for himself in the Merseyside music scene, and is undoubtedly one to watch as he continues on his journey as a musician.
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