Fragmental: Beth Karp Release

Central Belt Indie

Edinburgh-based Singer-Songwriter & Producer Beth Karp Released Self-Produced EP ‘Fragmental’ on 27^th September

Fragmental was released by alternative-folk artist Beth Karp on the 27th of September. The EP was self-released and self-produced through her own label Cascade Records before being mastered by Katie Tavini at Weird Jungle. A lauch event took place the following day, Saturday 28th September, at Fopp records in Edinburgh - see picture above. This EP is available both on CD and digitally and can be purchased via the link at the bottom of this review.

Beth Karp is currently studying for a PhD at Edinburgh Napier University, where she specialises in music and trauma. She designed a workshop programme to safely traverse traumatic memory and teach music-making to survivors of abuse as a therapeutic tool.

Fragmental is a dreamy and delicate collection of captivating songs. The use of soundscapes created through found sound is a trademark of the EP, as is poetic lyrical content revealing Karp’s deepest thoughts. Karp transports us to an outdoorsy, natural location through her production while lyrically transporting us to the indoors of her mind, with lyrics that are vulnerable though captured with a rawness that makes them relatable. Each track acts as a stepping stone into the next, capturing the fragmentation of personal experience: the uncertainity yet beauty that lies within.

Fragmental is compelling, and authentic, and showcases Karp's growth as an artist since Roots/ Routes which was released at the beginning of the year. It is a must-listen for fans of thought-provoking alt-folk such as Margaret Glaspy or Phoebe Bridgers. The EP has a sense of peaceful melancholy that would make me want to listen on a rainy Sunday afternoon when I am journaling, with Fragmental acting as the fuel to encourage self-reflection.

Track one – Fragmented.

In the opening track ‘Fragmented’, the lyrics are straight into existential themes - an appropriate intro of what is to be followed throughout, with an opening line of “Where am I? Who am I meant to be?”

I like the use of field-recorded sounds, particularly the wind chimes and bird noises, that will evoke feelings of calmness and rootedness, juxtaposing the edgier lyrical content.

The simple production highlights the raw vocals and vulnerable lyrical content, leaving room for these to act as the main focal point and perhaps encourages the mind to wander deeper into the abyss. The airy and ethereal backing 'oohs' vocals are prevalent in most songs in the EP and I find them particularly dreamy in Fragmented.

Track two – Mother.

This track is my personal favourite. A relatable song that narrates the complex feelings that come with the pressure of motherhood and existence itself. ‘Mother you should send me back where I came from’, a thought that has burdened as all at one time or another. This track was appropriately described as “An achingly beautiful look at the darker shades of human bonds and feeling wrong or inadequate in your place”. I found myself intrigued by the mysterious sample that is used in the outro - perhaps this is a piece of audio from childhood. Whatever it is it feels appropriate in the mix and evokes feelings of nostalgia.

Track three – She’s gone.

Opens with the trademark acoustic guitar picking, and though perhaps the most simple out of all of the songs, the one that I have found the most profound. The simplicity adds to the meditative impact and is less upfront, and more ambiguous than the other tracks lyrically. A stand-out moment in the track for me is the almost unsettling surprise and certainly beguiling reappearance of the vocals, leaving a sense of hope that maybe she is not so gone at all ...

Track four – 7 degrees.

About the relatable theme of 'waiting to feel different but repeatedly breaking'. I recommend listening to this track with headphones in, to experience the sonic soundscape, the bed of found sounds combined with clean acoustic guitar. I would enjoy it a little more if the found sounds were turned down slightly to give more opportunity for Karp’s strong vocals to have more clarity at times. However, the found sounds appear to be an important aspect of the track so I understand the creative decision. I enjoy the unexpected turn of the vocal melody in the outro, I find myself skipping back to this point of the song upon finishing as I crave this section of the song. Raw as ever and highly strung, this track certainly arouses emotions. The synthesizers in 7 degrees are perhaps the most prominent and my favouite out of all sounds used so far, and it which melds in satisfyingly with the found sounds, in an Apex Twin kind of way.

Support the artist by listening to their music and following them on socials. This EP is available to be purchased on Bandcamp, so if you enjoy it I would highly recommend purchasing it from here as I'm sure most of this at this stage are aware of the dire situation for artists - particularly those independent - as a result of the normalisation of streaming.