Since earning a following singing cover songs online, Leith-based (Ayrshire-born) producer Rebecca Shearing has flourished into an accomplished solo artist in her own right. In 2019, she began releasing electronic pop music as SHEARS, and Now We’re Getting Somewhere is her fourth EP.
Roughly twenty minutes long, it consists of six tracks – written, produced, and mixed at Shearing’s home studio. Despite its bedroom origins, and we don’t say this lightly, it sounds on a level with any current mainstream pop.
The opening track ‘I Look At You (It’s Over)’ is a late 90s/early 00s throwback, with power vocals, clattering jungle beats, warm synths, and an irresistible chorus. It’s a masterclass in modern dance music, and across the EP, you’ll find nods to classic acts like Alice Deejay and Ian Van Dahl, colliding with sounds you might expect from Alice Glass and girl in red.
`Made to Move’ is cold and glitchy, ‘Shadow’ is an awkward groove machine, ‘Figure Me Out’ is a surging floor filler, ‘As You Are’ goes full-on drum and bass at the end, and closing track ‘The Way You Like’ is tied with the opener for the best song on here.
Now We’re Getting Somewhere is a smashing wee pop album packed with fresh-faced, nostalgic bangers, just as suited to your living room as the club dance floor.