Once again proving that she is difficult to pigeonhole is Neeve Zahra with her latest track "What Did I Miss?", If the previous singles invoked a feeling of 60's pop in "Step Right Over", and a gentle Shires country duet style with "Rub A Little Dirt In It" then this latest offering has a much more modern feel to it.
The opening of drum and acoustic guitar is joined by a synthy keyboard riff, that will work its way into you brain each time it comes round. Deceptively simple it reels you in to liking this single before you know what has happened.
Initially we find Neeve in a sad contemplative mood
"Feels like I'm not good enough
Been thinking when will I be loved?"
The chorus is harshly self critical blaming herself for a break up for not spotting a sign.
"What did I say, what did I do that makes it all come back to me?
And I lose and you win
Now I'm stuck here in my ways
Thinking about the days
When it wasn't like this
What did I miss?"
The sound gradually starts to build, an organ starts to feature more in the background, and as the chorus ends a pedal steel become prominent. Neeve has a wondrous way with words, the emotions on meeting an ex, feeling so trapped you can barely breathe and then the only words you are able to utter are the complete opposite of how you are feeling,
"Feels like I’m swimming under water
And I can’t breathe
You say "Am I alright and I say "I’m fine"
Cos that’s just me"
By now the sound has built even more, there's a degree of "atmospheric" keyboards filling up more and more of the sound. The bridge brings the senses of confusion and injustice to the fore and finally a degree of acceptance.
"Did I miss a conversation where everything gets lost?
Were you talking at me like a little kid then I'd forgive you, what you want
If it wasn't me so who's gonna prove it
Cos when the war starts I'm going to lose it"
The final attack on the chorus sees the instrumentation drop back to the starting levels bringing Neeve to the front of the mix for the opening lines before the sound bursts back into life.
With a cover showing Neeve almost majestically walking along a deserted beach, ruminating on where things went wrong, only reinforcing the sense of isolation, it all adds up to a complete package. Neeve continues to dazzle and delight - we at #TEAMw21 can't wait to see where it will take her next.