Ally Cribb is set to release a new song, Bigger, on February 18 2022. This is a positive sounding, warm message about believing in yourself. You can almost hear Ally smiling as she’s singing this.
“Bigger” has some great rise and fall throughout the track to maintain interest. There’s some lovely development with instruments coming and going to back up Ally’s confident but slightly fragile voice.
Part way through the song there is a section that’s just piano and vocals. The reverbs used on the vocals at this point are just perfect, and the control that Ally has in her head voice notes is second to none.
Bigger is apparently Ally’s debut original release and is set to be a part of a forthcoming EP. We’re looking forward to hearing that for sure!
There’s some beautiful and subtle backing vocals throughout this track which serve to bolster up the lead vocal nicely. Just in the odd spot here and there, and just enough to grab your attention and make sure you’re really listening to the poignant lyrics.
The vocals sit prominently in the mix without being too dominant. This is clearly a song where the voice is the main feature, which means that whilst the instrumentation is quiet, it does give you plenty of opportunity to listen to Ally’s vocal gymnastics! Some great work here.
That said, there is a spot on guitar solo in this track which almost sits under the vocals in places. Its well played and really serves well to add to the emotion and helps you to feel utterly swept along by Ally’s positive message.
Interestingly, this is a current sounding song, but without the vocals being pressed to the limit as they are on some modern tracks. Personally, I’d give the overall track a bit of a boost in the low-mids to make it feel a little warmer, and a boost in the high mids for a little presence/edge on the vocals – they just feel a little distant in a few places. Perhaps a de-esser or single band compressor will help control the sibilance in the voice too. I suggest having a look at the production on Taylor Swift/ Carrie Underwood’s music for some reference track ideas.
This is a promising start for the young Ally Cribb. I’m excited to see how her voice develops and where she will take her songwriting next. Keep an eye out for this young Torontonian!
We give this track four ears out of five
