- Sydney indie-pop artist Le Pie has a distinctive sound – vintage pop meets grunge, with the perfect blend of sweetness and sadness. The title of her new EP Sad Girl Theory is aptly fitting; her record is a back to back collection of sad girl ballads that drip with soft, grungy guitars and bittersweet melodies.

The record opens with a harmony rich ditty, fittingly titled I Just Wanna Sing About Boys. The record closes with an alternate version of the same track, changing the lyrics to I Don’t Wanna Sing About Boys Anymore. This adds a really nice finishing touch – by packing the middle tracks in a nice hardcover backing, it creates a conceptual vibe within the record.

Go Unsteady lulls you into a false sense of security – lyrics like “The night we met / Boy you stole my stubborn heart,” suggest the record isn’t purely about heartbreak and loss, however, the rest of the track drips in teenage naivety and lust, which, layered over soft pop melodies, sounds like a recipe for a broken heart. A sad, solo guitar melody opens up He Gave You A Smile, the repetitive lyrics and vocal refrains tinged with the sorrow you harbour for someone who you can’t help.

White Walls & Promises tells the (autobiographical) tale of a young single mother, struggling financially and emotionally. Vocals drenched in despair cry out over the distorted, dreamy guitars and rolling snare drums, tugging on your heart strings with painful ferocity. Tonight After The Show is the peppiest track on the record, combining '60’s style arrangement with catchy pop hooks and upbeat guitars. Lyrically, the track is still well within the self-imposed ‘sad girl’ aesthetic, just with more of that bittersweet feel, with lyrics discussing failed marriages and broken relationships.

Le Pie could have gone in two very different directions with her second record – with such a distinctive style and specific aesthetic, it would be easy to start sounding very ‘same-same’, but instead she has made a surprisingly feel-good (or at least an upbeat ‘feel-sad’) record that’s just as empowering as it is depressing. Dump your boyfriend, break out the tissues, pour yourself a wine and listen to this record. You’ll thank yourself later.

- Olivia Shoesmith.