Rising country artist Priscilla Block has been drawing listeners in with her unfiltered, relatable songwriting and catchy melodies. Tomorrow, she will release her debut self-titled EP that shows the multi-faceted artistry of Block and just why she has been tipped as one to watch by the likes of Amazon Music, The Boot, Pandora and more. Pre-save the EP here.
Priscilla Block has been one of the hottest new names to know in 2020, due to her relatability both on social media and in her authentic and honest songwriting. Tomorrow, she will add to her catalogue with the release of her debut self-titled EP. The project puts self-love, empowerment and acceptance at the forefront, blending country pop and southern rock in her signature ‘Block Party’ sound.
The project opens with ‘Wish You Were the Whiskey’ – a track about drowning heartache in alcohol, to no avail. ‘Now I’m all alone and your memory’s hanging over / I should’ve known better than to think I could trade one for the other.’ It’s an immensely emotive, hell-raising rock track that sets the stage for Block’s vision for the rest of the project. Following track ‘Just About Over You’ was the mammoth intro for many country fans to this bold singer, about nearly being over someone just to see them again and experience heartbreak all over again. ‘Why’d you have to come back in right then / Right when I was just getting good and gone? / Guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time / You must’ve heard I was moving on.’ The songwriting here is intensely vulnerable and compelling, positioning Block as an artist who is not afraid to ‘go there.’
By contrast, ‘Heels in Hand,’ is a fun girl-power track comparing high heels to a man. ‘I should walk away, throw you both away / Maybe broken in’s just broken / Like me and you.’ There’s a wit that should not be overshadowed by the slightly more bubbly production, though it is personally the weakest of the tracks on this EP before leading into – in my opinion – the strongest lyrical moment on the project. ‘Sad Girls Do Sad Things’ gives a needed breather. It’s a heartbreakingly raw and real portrayal of the mess left after a break-up – mistakes and all. ‘When you hurt this bad / You’ll do anything to get back to that high you had / Even though you know it’s over / And what’s passed is past / Am I low or am I lonely / All I know is that this ain’t who I wanna be / I guess sad girls do sad things.’ The honesty of this track is raw and real as that on Carly Pearce’s 29 – opening her heart up to her audience – and Block allows her vocal to breathe in the more stripped back track that showcases its unique qualities.
The final tracks on the project bring back the more rock-edge sound that kicked off the project. ‘Bad Part of Good’ twists the idea of the ‘good guy’ as the ones that can ultimately cause the most damage. ‘It’s gonna hurt like hell in the morning as it should / That’s the bad part of good.’ ‘I Bet You Wanna Know,’ by contrast, tells the story about an ex-lover wanting to know where she’s now at romantically. ‘I bet you wanna know where I’m at tonight / If I’m all up on someone new I like.’ It’s the song form of a wink and shows the confidence that earned her the legion of TikTok fans that have enabled her to get to where she currently is – a fitting end to the project.
As Block herself says of the EP – “This EP is such a vulnerable side of who I am and where I’ve been… It’s my story of falling apart in order to find myself again. I hope that when you hear these songs, they make you feel that it’s ok to not be perfect and realize that sometimes we need the lows to value the highs… AND ONCE YOU REGAIN THAT CONFIDENCE… LET IT SHOW BABY!” It’s a project that is authentic and heart-achingly real, infused with joy and gutsy empowerment that make it immensely engaging as a project in its entirety – revealing all the sides of Block and her music and proving just why she is one of the names to watch. In this project, she not only shows the direction of her own artistry but of the country genre in general, imbibing a new sonic diversity while retaining the core of raw and honest songwriting.
