I love it when one of my kids sends me an Instagram post featuring an artist they've discovered and it ticks all of my boxes, as was the case with Jessie. This seven track EP is an interesting one, opening with four live performances before revisiting three of those songs in more polished, fully produced versions.

The EP opens with "the man with money in his hands", and the first thing that struck me was a comparison to Sarah McLachlan, albeit with acoustic guitar taking the place of the piano. I think the comparison comes from an idealised recollection of Sarah's work, because when I went back to revisit it, I found something a little different. Even so, Jessie's vocals possess that same captivating presence.

The next track, "the precipice", was the song originally sent to me, and I was immediately taken by the tone and honesty of her voice. There's often something especially engaging about a live performance, and this song gives Jessie's voice a wonderful canvas on which to paint.

The third track, "alive", is the standout from this seven-track EP. There's a little more rawness here, not just in the performance but also in the vocals, which carry a wonderful sense of melancholy and emotion. The song allows her voice to soar when the lyrics demand it. The closing line, "I wanna be alive", provides a satisfying resolution after what feels like a journey through an inner maelstrom.

The last of the live tracks is "How Deep is Your Love", and I have to admit I was initially expecting a cover of the famous Bee Gees song. Instead, the track feels more like a vocal exercise and didn't quite captivate me in the same way as the previous three tracks.

The following three tracks, "the man with money in his hands", "the precipice" and "alive", are the more produced versions of the live renditions featured earlier on the EP. They're interesting variations and perhaps the sort of thing you'd more commonly expect on an album. For me, however, this release is at its strongest in the live performances, which are ultimately what I found myself returning to.

There's a lot to like here, but I also found it a slightly confusing release. I would normally expect a format like this from a well established act whose audience is eager to hear multiple interpretations of familiar songs. For existing fans, I think this will be a wonderful release. For me, it's the acoustic performances that shine, while listeners discovering Jessie for the first time may find themselves drawn more to the polished versions in the second half. Perhaps that's part of the strategy, appealing to different audiences at once.

Ultimately, though, it's the quality of the songwriting and performance that matters most, and this EP has introduced me to an incredible new talent that I'll be keeping a close eye on.