Over the last few years, Izzie Yardley has been honing her songwriting abilities. It included the release of the home-brewed lockdown singles “I’m Still Here” and “Aurelia”. She has also performed at festivals such as Glastonbury Festival, Americana Fest, Ilford Jazz festival and Black Deer Festival. Now, she is ready to showcase her musical talents to the world with her first official release, “All We Have”.
It is a song Yardley describes as “a letter of hope written to both herself and all those who find themselves questioning the choices they’ve made in life, or looking at the world around them and thinking: Did we do the right thing?”. The single also features the musical talents of Ethan Johns (drums/synths) and Nick Pini (bass). To help elevate the listening experience, she added the production skills of Dom Monks, whose credits include working with Laura Marling, Nick Cave and Michael Kiwanuka, to name a few. Together, they assembled the track “All We Have”.
“All We Have” opens up with Yardley’s acoustic guitar. It sets a gentle tone as its strings subtly draw in the listener. It does not take long for her vocals to appear as she begins her tale with, “Sitting wondering if I’m missing what the others have / A steady job, a caring home, family in their beds”. The delivery of her words is as soft as the soundtrack. Both combine to create a captivating feel to her song.
As ‘All We Have’ shows, this is just the beginning of something special by Izzie Yardley
Her way with words stands out instantly. She shapes them to provoke imagery as the listener enjoys her story. Not only by the details but how we think in certain situations. As highlighted by the lines, “I don’t know what I’ve been waiting for / Something tells me I’ve been here before”. While Yardley steals the spotlight with her storytelling qualities, its soundtrack deserves some credit too. Along with Johns and Pini, the trio create the perfect backdrop for her storytelling qualities to steal the spotlight. It effortlessly flows along without any urgency adding an irresistible charm to this sublime listening experience.
As the song continues, her lyrical talents stand out. A quality that shines brighter as it comes to a close with the words, “Hoping for an angel to come down and say / Honey, take my hand / Didn’t you learn that nothing ever lasts / No, this ain’t all we’ll have”. It is a simple but effective message that says so much. Then, as the words are over, “All We Have” ends as it began, with a beautiful musical arrangement.
For her first official release, “All We Have” ticks all the right boxes and more. It’s a beautiful track, both lyrically and musically. It is so good that it leaves you wanting more. Luckily, there is more in the works, as the single is a taster of what to expect from Izzie Yardley’s forthcoming record. Going from the calibre of her releases, it will be a collection of songs that will be something special.
