For over a decade, Jane Penny’s hushed unassuming vocals and tender lyricisms have been the unmistakable linchpin of the Montreal four-piece, TOPS and now her debut EP Surfacing sees her venturing into solo territory for the first time. 

Surfacing’s cover art features a photograph of Penny smiling beneath a body of water, her face captured in the moment before it’s about to break the surface. The image is somewhat symbolic of how the EP begins, as cinematic synths rise from the depths until the tension is broken and first track Darkness Can Wait For A Night gets things underway. At just under two minutes it serves as a curtain-raiser for the EP proper. “Why do I keep pushing, push until it breaks, until there’s nowhere left to climb” Penny sings, backed by hazy minimalistic ambience, her vocals are more exposed than we’re used to and it’s immediately clear that Surfacing is Penny at her most intimate and vulnerable. 

Second track Messages sees us in more familiar territory and this is no bad thing. Penny has proven time and time again that she knows her way around around a catchy melody. In a more reasonable world, Messages would be inescapable. It’s a near-perfect pop earworm that wouldn’t be out of place on any mainstream radio station. A song to throw at your elders the next time they tell you that music isn’t what it used to be.  

Wear You Out is another synth-infused pop gem. Lyrics like “Baby I wear you out like my favourite pair of jeans” encapsulates Penny’s knack of balancing romantic musings alongside ethereal soundscapes. Penny’s musical journey began as a child when her mum enrolled her in flute lessons, an instrument which she still holds dear to her heart. She employs it here, and on the EP closer Accelerate Slowly, to perfection. Nobody is quite sure when or how it happened but at some point in the past four or five years flutes somehow became ridiculously cool. If you don’t believe me then give Surfaces a few repeated listens, or failing that just ask Andre 3000 or Lizzo. 

Stream divides the EP in two, a minute long instrumental interlude before we rejoin Penny on Artificial Genuine, a slick summery sophisti-pop outing which magically finds the sweet spot between 80s synthwave and early 90s soul. Beautiful Ordinary and the aforementioned Accelerate Slowly bring the EP to a sublime conclusion, the latter in particular being a highlight. 

Surfaces is an exceptional piece of work which leaves you wondering why it took Penny so long to release a solo record. Whether or not this is simply a one-off or the first of many is unknown though Penny has hinted at possible future endeavours, “I want to score a film, and when I’m an old lady I hope I’m making ambient music in a room surrounded by plants.” 

The songs here don’t see Penny reinventing the wheel, she doesn't have to. If you’re already a fan of TOPS it’s highly likely that you’ll enjoy what’s on offer here. Surfaces does nothing to harm Penny’s reputation as a stellar songwriter and musician and on more than a few occasions, it manages to elevate it to even greater heights.