Birdy laments her lost, wandering soul through a heartwrenching melody in her new single ‘Just Like a River Does’. As can be expected from any Birdy venture, the tune is rife with poignant piano chords and impassioned vocal work that will simultaneously soothe and sadden you.

 The British singer-songwriter has been a sensation behind the piano since she was twelve. Years have come and gone but at twenty-four, she still possesses the sweet, fragile personality that made her a musical standout in just her teens. The composition is perfectly suited to Birdy’s gentle style, where she commands the soaring notes through a special combination of both sensibility and wide-eyed innocence. 

The subject matter of the piece itself signals an evolution that the singer has underwent in the past couple of years. She compares herself to a “river,” an entity that shapes the earth but doesn’t have a home; it flows and slithers through the land, wandering, lost as if that is its purpose. Tackling quite a profound topic, Birdy makes no attempt to simplify her language to render the ballad more digestible or accessible. The emotion embedded within the song goes far beyond the words; it’s emanating from each and every chord of the piano, it’s flowing through each affectation in Birdy’s voice. She’s always proven herself to be a versatile and authoritative singer but the way in which she’s able to bend and break her voice at the most crucial points of emotion is nothing short of mind-blowing. Her hardcore fans would be impressed that Birdy’s adeptness at handling all-consuming ballads hasn’t suffered in all these years. 

Birdy’s recorded three studio albums to date and her new EP ‘Piano Sketches’ was released on November 6, 2020. The four-song collection was developed during a hiatus but there will be more music, performances, and possibly a full-length album coming from Birdy in the near future. Speaking on the EP, she said, “I’ve spent the last few years recording a new album coming next year which I’m super excited to share. I wrote a load of music I’m so proud of that might not normally have seen the light of day – I’ll be releasing the tracks stripped back over the coming months ahead of the album..” 

Author: Shaoni Das

Shaoni Das is a writer/editor currently based in Edmonton, Canada. She remains eager to inspect how the changing culture of music impacts upon the greater world.