The new year is off to a solid start for Christian Indie-R&B with a new single from Evin Nazya. A long-time favourite and friend of The Haystack, Nazya has consistently been building her repertoire over the last few years, stoking anticipation and inserting herself into the larger conversation around underground Christian R&B. Now, Evin has kicked off the new year with the lead single for her upcoming EP, due out in February of 2022.
The new song, Small Talk, is once again a remarkable step up in production quality since her last song, Louvre - thanks to collaborative help from @alanfoooor and @prodxoasis. While the music continues on the trend of synth-saturated atmospheres, the sound is decisively more pop oriented that some of the trap-soul textures of Louvre. The song takes its time to get into the groove, allowing Evin's playful melodic choices to take centre stage. Drums don't come in until the halfway point in the song, but when the groove finally settles in it feels well earned. In the most un-ironic sense, Small Talk is just vibes. The mood is transcendent and free, hypnotic and trippy. The song ends with a dreamscape of vocal layers, highlighting the versatility of Evin's vocal timbre and reaffirming, even in the face of really good instrumental production, exactly who the start of the show is.
Lyrically, the song plays with the idea of conflicting internal dialogue. Writing in a post on Instagram, Evin explains:
"This song is a representation of the conversations had between me and the version of myself that writes freely in my diary. I really like that girl. She gets me."
Ever the introspective writer, Evin's lyrical approach finds the perfect balance between relatable emotional disclosure and the kind of hook-laden impressionism that communicates less in direct indicative terms, and more in bypassing language altogether to sweep the listener up into the emotion of the music.
This first single bodes well for the rest of the EP, and we thankfully won't be waiting too long. Evin recently disclosed the release date to The Haystack and we will be making more specific announcements as the release date approaches. Until then, stay tuned with us and support young Christian creatives.
More about Evin Nazya
Location: The Bahamas
Genre: Alternative / Indie Pop / R&B
Artist Links
• YouTube • Spotify • Apple Music • Instagram • Twitter •
Lyrics:
Brb
Busy talking in my sleep
Girl, I just soaked my pillow
I hope that no one’s onto me
Buried deep into my thoughts
I wanna be someone who I can trust
Oh oh oh
Oh, hello diary
Re-re-re-re-re (3x)
Have a seat
I must admit it’s nice to meet the person in the pages
Girl, what’s with the anxiety?
Just let go (go)
Don’t hold back
The highs and lows have all been calculated
Oh oh
One way to take the edge off
Engage in petty small talk
Be guided by the lead, love
At least you know I’ll get it
Oh oh oh
Oh, hello diary
Re-re-re-re-re (3x)
Lead with a mind of its own
These pages fill themselves up
Enter this world of earth tones
Less talk more triggers and such
One way to take the edge off
Engage in petty small talk
Be guided by the lead, love
At least you know I’ll get it
Girl, I’m so glad you get it
Oh hello diary
Re-re-re-re-re (3x)