First off, I want to say the cover art for this EP is stunning and wouldn't look out of place framed on any wall.

The EP opens in a very unique way with "Numbers 31:17-18". It didn't take me long to look up the Bible reference and, in a nutshell, it refers to Moses commanding the Israelite army to kill all male children and all non-virgin women following the battle against the Midianites, while keeping the virgin girls alive. There's a very dark, gothic feel to the opening, which for me was reminiscent of an old 1930s horror movie. I'm not really sure that was the intention, but maybe that's just because those films were such a formative part of my childhood. When the track gets going, it's a sparse piece built around a repeating piano motif and breathless, almost unhinged vocals, which gradually build with harmonies and an overall production style that's so different, but absolutely enthralling. The lyrics are dark, evocative, and slightly disturbing, but this feels like pure theatre, pure performance art.

The next track, "Out in the Garden", sees the theme continue. It's dark and moody, with sexual overtones that carry something deeply unsettling beneath them. While the lyrics are somewhat ritualistic, there's something about the overall performance that's deeply enthralling. The vocals are at times confident and occasionally soaring, then suddenly afraid, vulnerable, and unhinged. It's not quite like anything I've heard before and it's mesmerizing.

Not sure Sofia will appreciate the comparison, but when "Star v" begins, I couldn't help but think of the Muppets. There's something in the vocal effect and phrasing during the first couple of lines that brought them to mind, though it dissipates quickly as she slips into her more familiar sultry tone. The majority of the track is fairly slow paced, driven forward by what sounds like either an unusual drum effect or perhaps a xylophone, giving the song a slow but deliberate momentum before more conventional bass begins to take over. Throughout it all, Sofia's vocals remain captivating.

It's actually the next track, "The Chicken is Naked and Afraid", that first led me to discover Sofia's music. Again, it has a throbbing, driving force behind it. When the vocals started, they reminded me a lot of Beck, not in content, but in delivery, particularly during the spoken sections, which are tongue-in-cheek, irreverent, and a little risqué. Everything about this track works incredibly well, and it's one I've returned to numerous times. Around the two-and-a-half-minute mark there's a break where her vocals really shine before the song falls back into something darker and slightly more grunge influenced.

"Above the Neck" continues with the risqué lyrics, sometimes delivered with a knowing sense of humour and at other times with something far darker and more distasteful lurking beneath the surface. Most of the lyrics are delivered rapid fire over a throbbing drum and bass beat, occasionally breaking apart just long enough to offer brief moments of relief from the relentlessness of it all. And yet, it's like rubbernecking a car crash, you feel like you shouldn't look, but you do. At least here there's no guilt.

The EP closes with "Evergreen Soldier", a much softer and more laid-back track musically, though the lyrical imagery remains just as absorbing and powerful. Seemingly centred around a long distance adolescent romance, the emotions feel raw and immediate, while the imagery throughout feels cinematic in scope. It brings the EP to a close in a way that feels reflective, intimate, and unexpectedly emotional after everything that came before.

This EP is a truly stunning piece of work. I came for the chicken, but ended up staying for the whole menu, and it was absolutely something to savour. This is definitely an EP I want to pick up on vinyl eventually. So, to sum it all up: did I mention this was stunning?