Piney Gir – Cosmic Upside Down (No Distance Records)

Piney Gir – Cosmic Upside Down (No Distance Records)

Completing a mystical trilogy of EPs Piney Gir has released Cosmic Upside Down, a sultry jazz- and Country-infused indie pop collection that closes the circle wonderfully

Piney Gir holding the moonArtist: Piney Gir
Track: Cosmic Upside Down
Label: No Distance Records
Released: 30 August 2024
Find it: Bandcamp | Spotify

Back in 2021 Piney Gir released Astral Spectra, the first in a trilogy of EPs themed around witchcraft and ancestral energy. Latest release Cosmic Upside Down concludes the trilogy (with 2020’s Alchemy Hand the centre point), strongly carrying the themes through on rounded, warm melodies.

Opening with Show Me The Lightning the ’60s pop sound Gir has woven through her releases is prevalent, with a sparkling vocal line that stands above the melody giving the track more the feel of a simmer’s day to juxtapose with the lyrical reference to storms. The song’s weather changes at the end with bolder melodic lines coming through, a gathering hum underpinning as lead and backing vocals are whipped up together. It’s exactly the sort of turn Gir’s music is so delightfully full of.

That occult theme is upfront and present from the get go with title track Cosmic Upside Down, as the Queen of Coins is pulled in a reading and an interpretation. The storytelling through the cards continues throughout the lyrics, as lush instrumentation builds, and Gir’s vocal softens to draw you in, wanting to have the secrets revealed while needing to stay in this mystical moment entranced by the melodies floating around.

That summer of love atmosphere is tuned in to again on What Have We Done For Nature? but it’s final track Witches & Covens which is the highlight of this collection, and possibly of the whole trilogy of releases.

Here Country meets Laurel Canyon meets jazz on a track which still feels full of intended space and leaves enough unsaid to uphold the mystical, mysterious vibe despite the idea of witchcraft being more metaphorical here. It’s a track that sits in the shadows, that looks at the road ahead disappearing in to darkness, and welcomes it all.

Twenty years in to a solo career, Piney Gir is showing herself not only to be an artist with sticking power but one committed to delivery to a vision. Taken as a stand alone release Cosmic Upside Down is a lovely indiepop EP with some intricacies to give delight and full devotion to the theme. As the conclusion of a trilogy, and listened to as a longer release with earlier releases Astral Spectre and Alchemy Hand it becomes a fantastic close showing an artist’s growth within a cycle, and adept handling of genres from jazz to country.

A beautiful, whimsical, mystical collection from one of finest in the musical coven.

~

Cosmic Upside Down by Piney Gir is out digitally and on CD on No Distance Records. You can read our 2019 interview with Piney Gir here, and our review of 2021 single Breathe, Howl, Flower Moon here.

Find Piney Gir: Website | Bandcamp | Spotify | Facebook | Instagram

Upcoming live dates:

  • 13 October – The Lexington, London (celebrating 20 years since the release of her debut album)

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Sarah Lay

Sarah Lay is editor of Popoptica.
A long-standing music journalist she's also co-founder of independent record label Reckless Yes, an author of novels, and when not messing around with words and music, a digital strategist.
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