Isabel Wing - Late July

​Isabel Wing

Late July
​self-released; 2022

By Joseph Krebaum​

Isabel Wing describes herself as an independent folk singer from Los Angeles, CA. Her Late July EP, is a small collection of songs that she’s recorded before. According to Wing, “she uses simple melodies and instrumentation to allow the power of her lyrics to shine through.” 

Wing contributes the vocal, acoustic guitar and piano parts to Late July, whereas the bass, electric guitar, and lap steel parts come from Arend Jessurun. Reading “lap steel,” I was thinking there’d be some country influence in this project along with the usual folk instrumentation. I was right. The EP “was recorded in Los Angeles, at the studio of Arend Lee Jessurun. It was mixed by Arend Lee Jessurun and mastered by Joseph Freeman.”

I first got to hear Wing’s melodic voice on the opening song, “Turning Blue.” With just a tiny bit of huskiness to her timbre, her vocals never feel too labored on top of plinking piano notes. As with the rest of Late July, it is a spare, simplistic composition heavily influenced by artists such as Janis Ian, Laura Marling and Paul Simon. Plus, there are themes of both religion and nature in the song, providing a lovely synthesis between the two. 

“Giving Up The Game” continues the spareness of “Turning Blue.” With a bit more melancholy feel this time around, Isabel Wing appears to be singing about a difficult  situation in her life. Again, the organically produced piano and acoustic guitar are a rich complement to her expressive singing. 

On the second half of the EP, we get a pair of songs related to relationships, those being the title track “Late July” and “Dolores Park.” First up is “Late July.” It features a typical sort of singer/songwriter-esque chorus that doubles as a list of “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.” type sayings. Musically, it sounds almost the same as the previous cut, but with a very different message. “Dolores Park,” sees Wing sing in a lower register, this time about a lost love rather than actually being in love. I like how low-key and tranquil this piece is compared to the other three. It may not be quite as mountainous as “Turning Blue” or “Giving Up The Game,” but it’s a sweet finale to a neatly produced collection of four folk songs. 

​Wing’s elegant vocals and nature driven narratives really stand out in this EP. I’m sure that fans of folk and singer/songwriter will dig this latest  offering from Southern California native, Isabel Wing. Recommended.

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