Remnantal is the debut album from independent singer-songwriter Sophia Stephens. This is the first release after she had a single in 2021, and she has three more albums planned to be released soon. The new EP spans four tracks and shows the power and dynamic range of Sophia in a way you’d never imagine a 17 year old to be capable of doing.
The first track, Shadowlit, introduces us to the beautiful Alto range of Sophia and how she’s extremely capable of putting emotion into her singing. It’s impeccable how low her voice gets, and how she can intonate with melody while pronouncing every syllable and consonant clearly. The song sounds like a straightforward folk/indie piece with a lead guitar chord progression that leaves the vocals to be the main focus. The second track, Submerge, has a piano piece which is written thoughtfully and complements the emotion in the vocals so well. Sophia sings in an airy and light manner but still manages to keep the power and density of her voice.
The following track, Never Spoke, is the first instance of drums and percussion on the album. With the acoustic guitars and the song’s (relatively) faster tempo, Sophia sings with a lighter voice towards her head and mixed registers beautifully…you’re wrong if you thought she’s a one-trick-pony. The fourth and final track, Familiar, has an industrial electronic beat with some electronic synths…making it the perfect candidate for a successful pop single…this is the song for you if you like Lorde.
All in all, this is a versatile record and the four tracks show Sophia’s amazing vocal abilities and how she can navigate within her wide range with ease and agility. She is an amazing and emotional performer, and I’m sure her career will skyrocket soon.