Single Review: On The Edge

Laidback and soulful, Kiwi-Austrian performer Cloudy’s new single On The Edge is a unique singer-songwriter track traversing many a genre. From bedroom pop to indie rock, it’s a cohesive, expressive release introducing her hotly awaited sophomore EP.

On The Edge opens with Cloudy’s deep yet delicate vocal, urging listeners to “call me by my name”. Her lyrics capture the unsettled sensation of fearing someone important to her will leave at any moment. They’re fragile, earnest and sincerely relatable, without ever coming across as overly angsty. This is aided by the frequently unexpected melodic shifts, which manage to balance feeling consistently natural with an exciting level of unpredictability and musical experimentation.

The instrumentation is dreamy and bittersweet, full of muted rolling cymbals, nostalgic strummed guitars and careful, gentle bass. Cloudy’s touch is light enough to make the song sound effortless, but it’s clear there’s deep care in every sonic choice. Her pop-style hooks matched with 90s-influenced production similar to the likes of Oasis and No Doubt make the folksy songwriting all the more heartfelt.

There’s truly something for everybody in the layers of On The Edge. With its calm pace, it’s perhaps an unexpected lead single, but it certainly lives up to the hype of the Cloudy brand. This one-of-a-kind artist is guaranteed to pull you to the edge with her, no matter where your musical interests lie.