After numerous singles over the last four years, Taylor Pearlstein drops her anticipated first EP Perfect Blue. The indie folk and pop singer has also balanced her career with her musical theater work on Six: The Musical’s North American Tour.
Pearlstein artfully uses the sounds of acoustic guitar melodies, simple piano arrangements that build throughout the piece, and the soothing tones of her voice. Each of her songs has a sentimental meaning to them, and you can feel her emotions in the lyrics and her singing. Pearlstein possesses a level of musical talent that should not be overlooked, one that captivates listeners entirely.
“Sandman” was released just a couple months prior to Perfect Blue. The song is a representation of the mythical genie that makes children fall asleep by sprinkling sand above them. Accompanied by various string instruments, this authentic ballad showcases Pearlstein’s vocal skills and the emotional battle of not having a special person beside you in bed.
Another song released a month prior to the album was “Back Away.” The song opens with a strumming pattern from an acoustic guitar but builds with an electric guitar brawling against Pearlstein singing “Back away” but subsides to only string instruments. The song mimics the feeling of becoming overwhelmed by the pace of life, but being able to relax in the quiet moments.
Guitar is the most prominent instrument in this album as it opens “Pour Over.” Clearly emulating how Pearlstein was feeling, she sings “I think it’s time to try and find names that rhyme with yours / So I can sing my old love songs without picturing pour overs” to disconnect from the other person. The lyrics embody the sense of moving on and not letting the old memories affect happiness.
“The Difference” was the last single released prior to Perfect Blue. Although there are no break-through instrumentals like her previous songs, there is unique notability in her lyrics. Pearlstein sings “Landfall feels good on skin so new / I build a place of perfect blue” that keys into the meaning behind the album. “The Difference” is the song that paints the picture of how Pearlstein creates this place of ‘perfect blue’ for herself, the color signifying freedom and imagination.
“What Gave” is the longest song, coming in at just over seven minutes of what sounds like a collection of thoughts surrounding the absences of this specific person, recurring through the EP. Questioning her dynamic with this person she sings “I wanna know what gave me you / I wanna know what it gave to you” and continues to repeat “I wanna know what gave” till the end of the song. The lyrics, about a relationship that is over, have Pearlstein asking what it really means to have even been with another if things were going to end like this.
Perfect Blue is a collection of five songs that are each a package of thoroughly thought-out emotions and instrumentals that enliven the original definition of indie pop. Taylor Pearlstein may have now been on the scene for a couple years, but it’s evident that whatever she releases next will be highly anticipated.
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