Across the 34 tracks featured on Stay Inside - Songs From the Great Indoors, ‘Lucy’, the gleaming debut from Emma Shields stood strong among the bunch. Released in early April, ‘Lucy’ embraces the lovelorn musings of synth-pop, moving slowly with sturdy drum machines and warbling synths, Shields’ sun-splashed harmonies soaring throughout the track. Both melancholic and unbridled in imagination, Emma Shields has returned today with ‘Mind’ - the second single from her imminent debut EP that refines earnest pop with themes of elegant decay. 

Undeniably striking, ‘Mind’ finds Emma embracing the present, admiring a sense of space and accepting any skewed realities surrounding her. Taking notes from Teen Dream era Beach House, ‘Mind’ leans into a delicate and unassuming sound - each instrument playing off one another amidst Shields’ impressive toppling of layered harmonies. Adorned with twinkly guitars and an unhurried backbone, ‘Mind’ washes over the listener through its progression, forever building in waves before reaching a thematic climax.

Both resonant and warmly considered, ‘Mind’ plays out as a stunning exploration of reflexivity, and as the track fades with Shield’s soaring mantra of “I don’t mind if you need to leave”, there’s a weightiness that lingers past her strung out vocals lines - one that’s simultaneously uplifting yet heavy with emotion. It’s a beautiful foray into glistening synth-pop that we can’t wait to hear more of.