Track of the Day: Krea - 'Last Day of the Year'

Irish singer-songwriter Karen Cowley (Krea) returns with the lovely 'Last Day of the Year' today.

Opening with warm piano chords, Krea's beautiful vocals introduce the track with minimal production or interference. Gentle percussion and soulful harmonies gradually enter the fore, but the single predominantly amplifies Krea's lush vocals and vulnerable lyricism.

"Sometimes it feels like the rest of me / Or the best of me / Got left behind / But I can’t promise if you saw me / You would know me at all," she sings. The track speaks of trying to move on in life, but also a yearning for your homeland. Sonically, it's like winter comforts mixed with honey.

About the song, Krea says: "I started writing 'Last Day of the Year' in the middle of June when I was living in Berlin in 2021. There were murmurs of lockdowns returning, I was feeling a little lost and began panicking that I might get stuck in Berlin for months on end like the last time. In a way I think I was romanticising the nostalgia of home, particularly around Christmas/New Year, and realised how much of my identity I had anchored how I was perceived at home.”

It’s been a busy year for Krea, who after taking a pause from her band Wyvern Lingo was awarded the Music Bursary by the Arts Council, as well as a residency in Paris at the Centre Culturel Irlandais. It was there, Cowley spent the month of August writing songs for her solo EP.

Krea is no stranger to the Irish music scene, having released two No. 1 albums as one third of indie band Wyvern Lingo and collaborated with household Irish names such as Denise Chaila and Hozier on his debut album duet, In A Week.

Cowley has performed over the world with the likes of Hozier, Lisa Hannigan and Wallis Bird. A vocalist, pianist and now novice harpist, Krea is very excited to step out on her own with this collection of songs.

Listen to 'Last Day of the Year' below.