We last caught up with London’s emerging star Ula in a Chatterbox feature for the release of her debut ‘So Kind’. Now, she’s back with another jaw-dropping single, titled ‘In My Eyes’, which takes listeners into that uncomfortably comfortable space of vulnerability. It’s one that so many of us avoid, but as this warm alt-pop track expresses, you can find a spark when you drop your defenses. Written in less than two hours in a basement in Vienna with her longtime collaborator Tim Burghaus, there’s a sense of intimacy imbued from this unusual origin.

Listening to ‘In My Eyes’, we’re suspended in a state of disconnected reality surrounded by cascading synths, delicate vocal tones, rippling melodies and a quietly expansive production. It’s like a more restrained version of avant-garde artists like St. Vincent, Allie X, and Aurora, although that’s not to say Ula doesn’t possess a similar intensity. Her controlled songwriting has the ability to unsettle, to reassure, to inspire, to give pause and, most of all, to connect with her listeners on a deep emotional level. Between the new single and her debut, Ula has already shown an undeniable penchant for sonic escapism. We can’t wait to hear what the next chapter of her upcoming self-produced EP, so we’ll be on tenterhooks until then.

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