In partnership with Lemon Tree Music
In 2020, upon the release of their sophomore album ‘Terra Firma’, Tash Sultana told NME that the project arose from a realisation that they “can’t do the same thing forever.” Now, some years later and after a myriad of new experiences, the Melbourne artist keeps that spirit of sonic versatility alive with ‘SUGAR’, a brand-new EP that serves as a testament to Sultana’s musical evolution.
Out today (August 18), the six-track collection sees Sultana reflect on the oft-turbulent period since ‘Terra Firma’’s release, detailing everything from the shedding of toxic relationships (‘James Dean’) to the search for deeper meaning (‘1975’) and the exercise of music as meditation (‘Dove’). It’s an introspective record that showcases Sultana’s richest vocals and most mesmeric instrumentals to date.
Beyond Sultana’s reflections on hardship – intimate and universal in equal measure – ‘SUGAR EP’ signals the reemergence of an artist fully confident in their craft. The EP was released on their own label, Lonely Lands Records, and was written, produced and composed entirely by Sultana.
“I do it all,” Sultana said of the songwriting process in a statement. “I have always done that, but I feel like people still don’t get it, and to me, it’s the most important message.” It’s a message of confidence befitting an artist with over a billion streams to their name, but Sultana’s first major release in two years did not arrive free of doubt.
“It’s kind of sad when you release new music,” Sultana has said, “because the project is not your little secret anymore.” Thankfully, with a tracklist as good as this, fans will be glad that Sultana has let some of those secrets slip.
Read on for NME’s track-by-track guide through Tash Sultana’s new EP, ‘SUGAR’.
‘James Dean’
Sultana has previously described ‘James Dean’ as ushering in a “new era” in their career – fitting for an opening track. The lead single’s summertime feel – complete with glittering guitar and doo-wop melodies – belies its otherwise pensive lyrics. Here, Sultana sees the writing on the wall and “sever[s] ties with things that serve me no purpose.”
‘New York’
The EP’s poppiest entry, ‘New York’, coasts on a groove and catchy sing-along ad libs. On a spoken-word vocoder outro, Sultana likens a dizzying relationship to the track’s titular city. “[New York] never sleeps, and its people don’t either,” they explained in a statement, “so what do people do to get through the night?”
‘You People Freak Me Out’
The deceptively groovy ‘You People Freak Me Out’ is a middle-finger to bandwagon-jumping and cancel culture, complete with a speakeasy-ready intro embellished by vinyl crackles. “I don’t care what they try to say about me,” Sultana later proclaims atop tropical, sun-soaked synths, “I’m not one for a crowd.”
‘Bitter Lovers (featuring BJ The Chicago Kid)’
An R&B-leaning ode to revelling in a rebound fling, ‘Bitter Lovers’ originated in a demo by Illinois crooner BJ The Chicago Kid and became ‘SUGAR EP’s slickest track. Through a sultry to-and-fro, the duo lampoon “lame” exes with a smirk and celebrate how former flames are finally “out the way.”
‘1975’
The sugar high wanes on penultimate track ‘1975’, a ballad that unveils “a side of me that I’ve never spoken about,” Sultana shared in a statement. With rustic vocals and diaristic intimacy, the seven-minute epic recounts coming of age and “talkin’ shit by candlelight”, soundtracked by scene-stealing guitar work and a heady outro. “You’re allowed to keep some of you to you,” Sultana recalled, “but really, I’m just releasing trauma in [this] song.”
‘Dove’
Sultana takes wing on EP closer ‘Dove’, letting loose past trauma with an airy, almost-spiritual sound that “mimics the way I feel when I am in perfect flow,” they explained. “I wanted to peel off my surface layers… This [song] is my meditation.” Fading out with a minutes-long instrumental, ‘Dove’ concludes Sultana’s musings on ‘SUGAR EP’ with the healing energy of a soothsayer, letting go of old wounds like “doves floating in the wind.”
Tash Sultana’s ‘SUGAR EP’ is out now via Lonely Lands Records.
