Early part of this year, Clash Magazine premiered the single from British indie/pop-rock sensation Natalie Shay entitled “This Feeling”.
As a BRIT school graduate and classically trained guitarist, Shay’s outstanding talents have propelled her to performing to sold out audiences at some of London’s most prestigious venues. Deemed as one of London’s hottest emerging talents and having already acquired an impressive array of awards, Shay is ready to launch herself into the forefront of the industry, with her highly anticipated upcoming release. As a classically trained guitarist from the age of five, Shay’s outstanding talents soon found herself accepted into the prestigious BRIT school, known for producing such prodigies as Adele, Jessie J and Katy B. Shay credits her time at the famed BRIT school for encouraging her independence, “It allows student’s to develop creatively and socially so that they are prepared for the world once they graduate”, explains Shay. Shay’s experience at the BRIT school propelled her into a successful solo career, performing to sold-out audiences at some of London’s most iconic and renowned venues, including The Roundhouse, Ronnie Scotts and Brooklyn Bowl, O2. Her successes to date include her long list of awards from ‘Best Undiscovered Talent’ London Music Award, Winner of The Guardian’s Music Award and two time winner of the Mayor of London Gigs. Shay’s debut single ‘Follow You Home’ reached number 15 in the iTunes singer/songwriter charts, championing Ed Sheeran. Shay creates a beautiful fusion of live instrumentation with indie pop sensibilities throughout her music. Produced by Pete Dowsett (The Vaccines) and inspired by the work of Sundara Karma, Shay’s aim to convey a flawless and dynamic live sound is captured within the production. The result is a listening experience that is as authentic as her acclaimed live sound. Shay succeeds in capturing a sound that puts a fresh spin on a timeless genre, “It was important to me to have as many live instruments as possible on the recording to create the right vibe and sound”, reveals Shay.
Review: Upon listening to this single, I am immediately drawn to her vocal prowess and arrangement in the songs. There is a lot of talent packed into the 19 year old from Great Britain. Natalie sings with an honest voice and her songwriting is quite poetic, especially for a teenager. I can immediately tell that she is a BRIT school graduate as she pays attention to creating powerful choruses, imploring her vocal prowess during various parts of the song when deemed necessary, and she certainly packs a punch in the melodic structures of her guitar work, as a modern day Liz Phair or Sheryl Crow.
Lyrical Standpoint: Natalie Shay writes her music where the songs can have universal meaning and make that impact upon the listener. In “This Feeling”, Natalie writes about what teenagers go through when they fall in love and having that passion for having someone to love in their life. Madness To Creation can see her songs having an impact on anyone that listens to them, and Natalie writes the music that is classy and wholesome, unlike some of the mainstream pop garbage that one would hear on the radio.
Video: The video showcases Natalie Shay performing in an intimate setting that would be ideal for a beer garden on a hot summer day or at a brewery or coffeehouse. I like the intimate backdrop and the passion that she performs with in this performance video. The three colorful butterflies are a nice addition to the video as they provide that symbolism for chasing after dreams or in this case, where the young man is chasing after the girl of his dreams. The video showcases that carefree lifestyle and that obsession with teenage love.
Overall, it’s plain to see why Natalie Shay is beginning to make noise in the U.K. music scene with her lyrical content, melodic guitar structures and her infectious vocal prowess. Natalie Shay plays close attention to detail in her song structures and having a video that tells a story that matches the lyrical content of the song. Before long, Natalie Shay will be making some noise in the biz with her strong vocals and very catchy melodies in her songs. Madness To Creation rates this a solid 8 out of 10 stars as I am looking forward to hearing more of her music!
Natalie Shay does have a few gigs in the United Kingdom coming up. Check out tour dates below.
Saturday, June 2nd- Camden Rocks Festival in London, United Kingdom
Friday, June 15th- Brighton Electric in Brighton, United Kingdom (w/Guy Jones)
Saturday, June 16th- Zigfrid von Underbelly of Hoxton in London, United Kingdom (w/Guy Jones)
Saturday, August 18th- Hawker Yard in Birmingham, United Kingdom
For tickets and further information on any of the shows listed above, click here.
Fans can find Natalie Shay at the following locations:
www.facebook.com/NatalieShayMusic
www.instagram.com/Natalieshaymusic
