Mvlholland is a Sydney based singer-songwriter who is excitedly introducing herself to the world. Following the breakout success of ’83’, ‘But I Like It’, and ‘Chicago’ last year, she’s stepping into 2022 with a lot to prove as she becomes a name you’ll want to remember. ‘Foreign Obstacles’ is her first release of the year and it’s an experimental indie-pop affair that hears her using her voice as the main instrument, literally.
All of the sounds on the track are samples from Mvlholland’s voice. The vocal samples were manipulated and skewed to create each layered sound that runs through the song. And if you didn’t already know that fun fact then you probably wouldn’t have realised. They have produced it up to this dreamy, synth pop inspired soundscape, but when you strip it away, it’s just her vocals being manipulated.
Exploring the emotions of falling in love, she perfectly captures the fusion of being terrified and excited all at once. It’s that anxious feeling of not knowing how it’s going to turn out, and questioning if they are truly “the one”. But it’s also about being so infatuated with them that you know they are the one as you find yourself totally enthralled by everything they do. And then when you aren’t with them, you wish they were and go into a rabbit hole of depression wishing they were there. “I’m sitting in a crowded room, wishing I was next to you” she sings before later confessing “If someone said a year ago they thought I would be with you, I would have laughed hard. I don’t wanna be anybody when your gone”.
This is a very unique release from Mvlholland that immediately stands out. It’s innovative, while still being totally palatable, and euphorically replicates those loved up emotions we all know well.