Spill Tab has spent the last couple of years nailing down her eclectic and bubbly take on bedroom pop, a road that’s culminated in the release of two radiant EPs. Claire, the French-Korean-American behind the project, is still riding the high from the highly collaborative Bonnie which saw her join forces with a stellar group of musicians and friends. Created while trapped in quarantine, the EP is one of the more exciting releases of 2021.
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Coupling Spill Tab’s ever penetrating songwriting and her ear for genre-bending hooks, the EP vaporizes any notions that bedroom pop has been wrung dry and all that’s left are the same, familiarly dull drops of trite tones. From the joyous coos on woozy rocker indie-pop piece “Anybody Else,” to the buoyant dreaminess of “PISTOLWHIP” before it switch-foots into a grinding cacophony of splitting riffs. Every song on Bonnie unfolds like a new melodic world of Spill Tab’s wondrous creation. But nothing quite beats Spill Tab crooning in French, as she does on the speedy rhythms and pulsating beats of “en quatre,” a song produced in Paris with Myd and close-friend/chief collaborator marinelli.
Collaboration has become something of a lifeline for Spill Tab, as it has for many artists during the pandemic. On Bonnie, she’s joined by Canadian rapper Tommy Genesis for the track “Indecisive,” as well as rising singer/songwriter Gus Dapperton for the breezy heartache of an anthem “Velcro” and JAWNY for the whirlwind jammer “Grade A.”
After you’ve put down Bonnie – and believe us, you’ll have a hard time doing just that – her debut EP Oatmilk is a phenomenal introduction to Spill Tab’s early sound. The EP is filled with more atmospheric sonics, stripped-down intimate pop pieces, and a blissful interplay between her English and French lyricism. Opening track “Calvaire,” with its heady soundscapes and bass concussiveness, points to the hidden depths of Spill Tab’s repertoire and the rest of the tracks only confirm her refusal to be pigeonholed. A debut full-length album can’t be far off but whenever it comes you can bet it’ll top the “Best Debut Album” lists that year!
Visit Spill Tab’s website, Twitter, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements. Follow her on Spotify.
