IZZY MAHOUBI “HOW TO RUN” EP - REVIEW
Arizona-born Izzy Mahoubi released her debut EP How To Run on Friday, July 21. The indie singer-songwriter has released a handful of singles across the past few years. Some of which are originals and others that are covers of songs like Billie Eilish’s “bury a friend” and Joni Mitchell’s “Big Yellow Taxi,” which was released just a few weeks ago.
Mahoubi’s first EP combines three previously-released standalone singles with one new song (the title track) to complete it. The singer-songwriter cites Maggie Rogers and Taylor Swift as inspirations for her new project, as well as “heartbreak” and “pushing the limits.”
Opener and title track and “How To Run” opens with an airy piano track that fades into a scathing, fast-paced guitar riff as Mahoubi sings, “Keep your voice down / You should know by now / That anything you say / Could set a fire to this town.” Her songwriting is the star of the stunning opener, with the production being edgy but quiet enough to make her words be heard. Mahoubi’s voice fires up throughout points of it, specifically halfway through the track where her voice swells after the chorus. “I thought we were falling in love / But you were teaching me how to run,” she exclaims. Mahoubi uses imagery of crime throughout the verses and draws them out as scenes throughout her love- and the hook paints them out as more violent than she knew in the moment.
Second track “Cool Guy” continues Mahoubi’s excellent use of vivid storytelling and describes her encounters with “a man who plays guitar in a rock-n-roll band.” She opens up the song with her father’s advice of not going for someone like that (but she does anyways). What follows is what went wrong. “It’s lies covered up with love covered up with ‘I’ll see you again’ / But you never did,” she sings. You can sense Mahoubi’s inspiration from Swift in her writing but her style remains ultimately individual and refreshing. The delivery of her words is unlike much of what is in indie pop nowadays, as she cuts music back at points to directly talk to who she is writing about.
“Torn In Two” is a standout from the project. Mahoubi opens with a gut-wrenching line, as she sings, “I wish the shade of us was just as vibrant as when I first met you / Do you hang on every conversation like I do?” The stripped-back production suits her voice exquisitely, as the acoustic guitar from the first verse develops and gets support from a light snare drum and some twinkling background vocals. The result is a touch of country unlike the surrounding songs that shows Mahoubi’s writing capabilities to their full extent. “I can’t escape this insurmountable pain,” she laments.
“Hang Around,” the closing track of the EP, sees Mahoubi recounting specific summer memories in a small town and questions whether it is worth staying because it was “getting pretty boring,” she sings. The rasp in her voice soars over the summer-ready track of light guitar strums and percussion hits. A highlight of the song is how Mahoubi describes these memories in a loving way but takes it all back in the chorus as she searches for something more. In the meantime, though, as she says, “I guess we’ll hang around.”
Her debut EP proves Izzy Mahoubi’s artistry and places her as one of the best new artists to keep an eye on. Mahoubi skates along melodies with a strong voice while maintaining a solid writing style that makes her music shine.
How To Run is now available to stream and purchase on all platforms.