In the final weeks of 2020, Alberta born, Toronto-based artist TOVI (aka Rebecca Emms) shared her single, Across the Border. The dark-wave single would, without a doubt, become one of our favourite songs of the year, leaving us wanting more. The day has finally come with the release of TOVI’s new four-track EP, Hard Feelings.
Hard Feelings — the song the EP takes it name from — lulls you in with delicate sound and TOVI’s signature haunting vocals, before driving at you in full force with driving heavy drums and moody synths. Much like Across the Border, this song keeps bringing us back for more and more.
Hard Feelings asks those late night questions that only come out while driving, only to be answered with “I want what I can’t have.”
While Emms’ vulnerability and yearning are fully showcased throughout the Hard Feelings EP, they take centre stage for the second song of the album, Wandering. TOVI’s tender lyrics take focus over ambient soundscapes are instantly relatable to those who have had their memories pulled back to former partners and lovers in moments of reflection.
TOVI’s craftsmanship can be heard from beginning to end of Hard Feelings EP. One moment, it builds to a chaotic, swelling wall of sound, before pulling back to an airy ambience. A considerable amount of love and growth was put into these songs. The unique mixture of dark synth-pop and indie rock, without a doubt, echoes artists like Portishead, M83 and Still Corners. It is a precarious amalgam that is frequently attempted by many artists, but rarely pulled off as well as on the Hard Feelings EP.
Once again, TOVI leaves us craving more with her latest EP, but to paraphrase the anthemic chorus of Hard Feelings, “we want what we can’t have.”
Hard Feelings features Toronto producer Josh Korody (Nailbiter, Beliefs), with mastering by Jesse F Keeler (Death From Above, MSTRKRFT), and mixing by Mike Lizola Rocha.
You can find TOVI’s Hard Feelings on Spotify, Bandcamp, and other streaming platforms. Check out the Hard Feelings Visualizer below.