Distancing herself from the sizzling, electrified approach of her pop-rock outfit The Virtues, Newcastle’s favorite rock-chick Amy Vee has swapped her searing electric guitar for fingerpicked, nylon-string acoustics for her first solo foray, the recently released EP Sleeping Dogs Lie.

A fine, folk-infused collection of acoustic songs, the five tracks present on the record carry Vee’s signature warm, nocturnal vocal delivery, with the slower, unhurried pace and laid-back delivery lending her songs an often melancholic feel, even when she exercises her wry and ready sense of humor.

Meandering through Sleeping Dogs Lie, listeners will find Vee accompanied only by a lilting acoustic guitar, thumping double bass and her melodic voice, often double-tracking her vocals, to create an effect of spaciousness inside her beautiful songs.

Long-time fans of The Virtues’ signature eclectic rock musings may find Vee’s change in direction hard to digest, with her gentle lyrics of love and life more reminiscent of the world-weary folk ruminations of Joni Mitchell than the howls of classic female rockers, such as Debbi Harry and Chrissy Hynde, that she once evoked.

Along with Laura Marling, Emmy the Great, Lisa Mitchell and Florence and the Machine, Amy Vee has made a sterling contribution to the recent surge of female-fronted folk music with this lovely little EP. 

Taking the songs of Sleeping Dogs Lie to live audiences around Australia and the UK later this year, audiences can expect wonderful performances from Amy Vee, a truly impressive yet grounded Australian singer.

Review Score: 7.5/10