Sienna Spiro

EP review by Andy Cantu

Nineteen year old British singer-songwriter Sienna Spiro released her debut EP SINK NOW, SWIM LATER on February 21st to critical success. Sienna has quickly been making a name for herself since the release of her first single, ‘NEED ME,’ in May of last year. SINK NOW, SWIM LATER is a stunning display of her competence as a writer, with each song listing her name in the credits, along with her powerhouse vocals. As an introduction to her as an artist, the EP succeeds in every way. 

Sienna has not shied away from speaking about the Jazz musicians she grew up with. Their influence can be found all over this EP, especially in the piano heavy ballads ‘BUTTERFLY EFFECT,’ ‘NEED ME,’ and ‘MAYBE.’ The simplicity of the piano tune accentuates her impressive vocal technique and the raw power in her voice. It’s in these songs Sienna is most in her element with her intricate lyricism on full display as she sings of love and loss. 

The EP is incredibly cohesive, which is a massive achievement for a debut EP where an artist would usually still be finding their signature style. This makes the songs that forego the piano in favor of a guitar or synthesizers, such as ‘I DON’T HATE YOU’ and ‘ORIGAMI,’ stand out while still sounding like they belong on the same EP. Someone unfamiliar with Sienna can easily listen to the EP, and assume she is an older artist who is a lot more established in her career. It’s evident she takes inspiration from her contemporaries both lyrically and sonically, and she has the confidence to pull it off whereas others her age would sound out of their depth.

The highlight of the EP is ‘BACK TO BLONDE,’ a sultry track about returning to old habits in the aftermath of a bad break up. Changing your hair after a break up has been a way to signify a change in mindset for years. In this song, Sienna uses dying her hair back to blonde as a way to express she’s regressing into an unhealthy mindset rather than moving forward with a new hair color and new way of thinking. Similarly to ‘TAXI DRIVER’ and ‘CYANIDE,’ the song perfectly encapsulates the title of SINK NOW, SWIM LATER, and showcases the best of her abilities as a singer-songwriter.