Fragments by Dee Sada (EP)

Dee Sada tackles matters of the heart in a fittingly heartfelt fashion

The four tracks that make up ‘Fragments’ see Dee Sada tearing into the common but difficult subject of broken relationships

n her Fragments EP, multi-instrumentalist Dee Sada takes the topic of relationships as her inspiration. Sada counts Sylvia Plath among her influences, so it’s no surprise that the muse that drives Fragments is not the healing power that relationships can hold; instead it’s their capacity to drain, corrode and fracture.

Bells And Ships And Songs starts things off softly, rolling out like the more downtempo moments on Shallows’ High Flying Kid Stuff. Birthday then has an even more delicate feel – nodding towards sadcore cult interest Pete Krebs – with the hum of background noise in the recording adding to the song’s intimate atmosphere. It’s an approach replicated on the Jose Gonzales-esque In The Space Of You, whose wistful quality has the feel of defeat that comes from returning to a relationship that’s ebbing away, but taking solace in the fact anyway. Debris brings matters to a haunting close, drawing imagery of watching condensation melting down a window as the world fights relentlessly on outside of you.

For a record that has such a morose outlook, Sada’s tone is never despairing. Instead it’s defeated, and that gives a sense of poignancy that lets anyone who’s ever felt something they love decay find something they can to relate too – meaning that Fragments is something to hold dear in those cold moments.

Verdict: Delicate and haunting indie-folk

Damien Girling

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