"Shoestring" by Wall

Wall
Shoestring
[Big Picnic Records]

Lyla Foy, aka Wall, a London-based singer/songwriter, has followed up last year’s single, “Magazine,” with the Shoestring EP, a striking collection of late-night grooves that rarely rises above the hushed, but finds a way to make its mark.

Hypnotic organ over beats sets a somnambulant mood for kickoff track “All Alone,” but it’s the first line: “Hook my legs around your neck, stayed there into the night,” that gets your attention and keeps it. “Left To Wander” is the keeper, a keening lament that will stay with

you long after the track ends. It’s a shame Six Feet Under

is no longer with us, as this would fit perfectly-simple on the surface, but something off-kilter underneath. The mannered minimalism of “Place Too Low” keeps the mood on simmer, setting up the winning title track. “Valentine” ushers some quirky noise touches into the mix, perhaps pointing the way forward to future explorations.

Having just played her first show last August, Wall bookended LA and NY stops around a SXSW appearance. Look for a return to these shores very soon, working this notable calling card.