Skye - Back To Now (PIAS)

Back To Now was released through PIAS on 29th October with production credits coming from Grammy Award winner, Stephen Fitzmaurice (Paloma Faith, Metronomy and Professor Green). Skye says, “we took a different approach when it came to the songwriting and started with beats and loops instead of a guitar or piano”, describing this new collection as “the album of my life”. The result is a concoction of 80's synth-pop beats reminiscent of bands such as Depeche Mode, along with unique soulful vocals that possess their own style and strength like those of Yadi or La Roux.

Back to Now proves to be an album “with electricity running all the way through it”. So much so that Skye Edwards, claiming to see albums as colours, says “Back to Now feels electric blue”. Despite not loving the album cover, which I would interpret primarily as a dated strobe effect - not exactly helping to reinvent a comeback artist as anything new and original - parts of the album really do create a welcome 80's revival.

'Featherlight' seems to be the pinnacle track, exploring electro beats and catchy vocals, also having inspired a neat remix from none other than German electro musician, Ulrich Schnauss. The opening tune 'Troubled Heart' feels somewhat jazzy with a soulful saxo-beat, whilst the majority of the album typically harks at the electropop sounds of today. The final two tracks, 'Dissolve' and 'Bright Light', then delve into a darker side of the musician, leaning towards a more dubstep-ish end of the musical spectrum.



All in all, Skye has managed to reinvent her fame and move towards a more personal and inspired sound proving her worth within the world of electro-dance music today.