EP REVIEW: Lille Venn - Whatever, Together

I challenge anyone not to be captivated and charmed by Lille Venn's stunning debut EP "Whatever, Together".

Born in Norway but raised in Singapore, Lille (real name Helene Brunæs) began writing music at age 13, picking up a guitar with the desire to be as cool as her older brother CK. She quickly found her niche as a cute but edgy indie rock goodness and started releasing music under the alias Lille Venn in mid 2022.

The best way to describe Lille's sound is sweet with an endearing kitschness but enough bite to prove she is someone not to be messed with! A vision that's captured perfectly in title track 'Whatever, Together' as it blasts "I'm not a realist, but I can be a sassy bitch".

Stunning vocals ooze with purity and feminine attitude. Understated, infectious jangly guitars are accompanied by catchy, high tempo choruses. Soft pensive moments allow Lille to show a more ethereal quality to her voice.

'I Blew My Friends Off!' borrows the melodic tones of pop punk while 'What Would I Do?' captivates with enchanting soulful vocals and heartbreaking tale of forbidden love developed for a friend. 'Mourning Sickness' gives off pretentious, attitude heavy rock chick vibes.

'Not D3@d' is a brutal slice of confusion in love, how the person who makes you feel complete can also cause you to question everything about yourself.

EP closer 'I Hate You, I Miss You' is a beautiful, slow burner portraying the turmoil of mixed emotions, knowing you should hate someone yet being unable to stop yourself from missing them.

Angst heavy themes of unrequited love, teenage regrets, fear and confusion "Whatever, Together" is a set of powerful brutally honest lyrics that most people are going to be able to relate to in one way or another. Lille's voice is pure and wholesome with a darker edge. Every song is an anthem, catchy and melodic. Exquisite layered vocals, beautiful harmonies and hook heavy, up-tempo guitars are mixed with splatterings of acoustic simplicity that offer moments tenderness

Lille has created a record that is bright, exciting, honest, real and relatable. The talent on display is exceptional. "Whatever, Together" is well worth a listen.