Let’s assume September is the month of desire and heartbreak. Well, Rachel Cousins has delivered the definitive September album with her new EP, titled in her namesake. Cousins’s retrospective lyrics unpack interpersonal turmoil as a dynamic, auditory melancholy swirls all around us.
“Wanna Love You” was a collaboration between the award-winning Newfoundlander and Paris-based producer Clement Simounet. The subtle key synth pad and sharp snares complement Cousins’ voice flawlessly, evoking the pain of loving someone who just isn’t right for you.
“Dangerous Love” features yet another producer, Daniel Adams, who provides a beat that gives a much more malevolent side to the melancholy Cousins puts forth. The deep, crunchy synth seems to regard the power imbalance in these relationships with a much more active distaste.
The electronica vibe doesn’t end there. “Man of Stone” is a synth-loaded hymn for a tragically distant loved one, and “Let Go” takes on a more pop-oriented sound for what sounds like a projection of desire. Cousins also graces us with an acoustic version of “Man of Stone” as a bonus track.
“Steal Mine” appears to be the point where our protagonist has come to terms with their heartbreak, all without disregarding the power of it, as the line goes; “I’ve learned to not break my heart for someone who won’t steal mine.” Finally, “Hope to Bring” seems to take a detour from personal relationships, instead providing a gentle rallying of hearts for the sake of the turmoil going on in the world right now. And by golly, there’s a lot of it.
“Putting a new EP out is always nerve-wracking, but when it’s a different genre than your previous work, it can be even more intimidating not knowing how people would react,” says Cousins. “So for me, this album was all about finding myself as an artist, finding my target audience, and reinventing myself as the artist I want to be.
“Each song is something that most people can relate back to their own life some how. There’s love songs, heartbreak songs, a dance song, a song about sparks flying when you first see someone.”