Taylah Evans has showcased the versatility of pop music on Revenge In Writing, a six-track collection that serves as the musician’s debut EP.
The project opens with the tinkling keys and regal synths of Fall Easy. Coasting on sparse production — save for subtle dialogue samples — the opener rightfully forefronts Evans’ vocals, which flit between angelic whispers and powerhouse belts with finesse.
What begins as a mellow dream-pop cut later transforms into something more anthemic, as the production — courtesy of Ayrton Rose — swells into dance-pop territory on the ascendant chorus.
Pulsating percussion and panning distorted vocals give Fall Easy an electronic feel, but it isn’t long before Evans is off to the next sound, singing atop jazzy piano keys before electric guitars make way for a rock-pop outro.
Deepening the complexity of the track is Evans’ incisive storytelling, which sees Fall Easy detail a head-over-heels romance with evocative candour.
The singer treds similar lyrical territory on In The Dark — this time chronicling the inevitable crash that comes after the freefall of love.
Here, Evans laments the paranoia and self-sabotage we bring to relationships, pairing the more lovelorn lyrics with noisier guitars and a pop-punk attitude.
Inhabiting the sound with confidence, Evans sings with a punkish sneer alongside gritty instrumentation, with call-and-response choirs reminiscent of an Olivia Rodrigo track.
Later, glitchy, sci-fi synths provide space for a spoken-word verse, before Evans returns for a belter of a final chorus. Evans veers towards guitar-driven R&b on Honeymoon Phase, a track brimming with all the nostalgia of early Destiny’s Child.
Opting for a sultry slow groove and more soulful vocal riffs, the track is an immediate standout — not least for its display of Evans’ adaptability.
With only the twang of an acoustic guitar and the shimmer of sporadic chimes, she inhabits the kind of slinky rhythms that’ll take you right back to the aughties, complete with bouncy trap beats and a crooning timbre.
Aptly titled, Honeymoon Phase pairs its seductive groove with lovestruck reflections on the early blisses of a relationship, again showcasing Evans’ ability to inspect the topic of love from all angles.
Dark-pop gets its moment in the sun on About You, a moody entry carried by brooding piano and the sonic aesthetic of Evanescence.
While About You is evidence that Evans can unleash a darker side, the penultimate track Between Us is an exercise in gentleness.
Trying her hand at piano balladry, the song showcases Evans’ best vocal performance yet, with harmonies so airy they might just make you levitate.
It’s a worthy moment for Evans to shine, accompanied only by slow-tempo keys and her tender reflections on a breakup.
Evans’ efforts culminate on Revenge In Writing closer Monster, which is adorned in bouncy keyboard percussion, whirring synths and — perhaps most notably — head-thrashing guitar sequences.
It marks the EP’s most experimental entry, darting from soft bedroom pop stylings to heavy rock riffs at blissfully breakneck pace.
It’s a fitting conclusion to Revenge In Writing, which stands not only as a precursor for one of the country’s most promising voices, but a masterclass in sonic versatility.
With this stellar six-track debut as evidence, Taylah Evans is just getting started.
Listen to Taylah Evans’ debut EP Revenge In Writing below.
