Masha Breaks Out With ‘Stupid, Stupid Dreams’ EP: Idolator Premiere

This might be the first thing you’ve heard from Latvia-born, New York-via-Nashville singer-songwriter Masha, but it probably won’t be the last: Her debut EP Stupid, Stupid Dreams is a tightly drawn statement of intent that announces her as a precocious talent, and — lo and behold! — we’ve got the exclusive premiere from the promising songbird right here.

Her writing is sharp; her vocals are arrestingly surly, all growl and roar; the songs are written and produced with Nathan Chapman (who helmed Taylor Swift‘s first three albums in their entirety) and Claude Kelly (perhaps Bruno Mars‘ “Grenade” or Miley Cyrus‘ “Party In The USA” appeal to you); it’s all great. “Ugly” could be a Pink song, or maybe something out of Kelly Clarkson‘s rougher, more frustrated sessions, while the punky “Do You” is garage rock married to the sensibility of a Nashville pop studio (“I don’t know who you think you are / Just some prick I met at a bar,” she scowls). The melodic “Ladies First” is a gorgeous ballad that hinges on a glorious little tremble in Masha’s voice, while “Amen” soars with some clicky, snappy production. 

It rocks and twangs, but there’s a pop sensibility coursing through these songs that elevates them beyond the pedestrian. Listen to the EP below, then pick it up on iTunes.