ChrisGGarrod

Review: Izzy Escobar’s “Sunny in London” EP – A New Voice in Pop-Soul

This is the kind of debut EP that finds light where heartbreak once lived. 

(c) Izzy Escobar

Izzy Escobar’s Sunny in London is an evocative debut EP — a collection of songs that trace the emotional geography of heartbreak, self-discovery, and renewal. 

Raised between Cuban and Italian heritage, Escobar trained as a classical violinist before shifting toward songwriting and pop-soul storytelling. Her musical world blends discipline with emotional fluency — say, Bach meets barroom confessions. To be honest, more than any other artist, she really gives me Amy Winehouse vibes… I felt them all throughout this EP.

Sunny in London marks her first complete statement as an artist in her own right, a balance of technique and tenderness that feels both refined and real.

Across six tracks, she paints a portrait of transformation that feels deeply personal yet immediately relatable. Her classical background and pop instincts intertwine beautifully, creating music that’s lush, melodic, and tremendously grounded.

The mood

There’s a cinematic softness to Escobar’s Sunny in London. These six tracks move like a story told in sunlight and shadow: the first sting of loss giving way to self-possession, humour, and quiet strength.

Escobar’s classical roots shimmer throughout: violin phrases glide between crisp pop beats, piano lines bloom under her voice. But it’s her restraint — that precise, human vulnerability — that turns every melody into confession.

The journey

The record begins in tension. Strings whisper beneath a steady rhythm as Escobar claims her story back from heartbreak. 

1. Vendetta

The EP opens like the snap of a match. “Vendetta” doesn’t waste a breath — it launches on a clipped piano line and a beat that struts with incredible fury. Escobar’s voice is smooth but dangerous, poised between vengeance and release.

“Your name started with a V, shoulda seen it as a sign. That you were his vendetta and he was never mine” she sings at the start, before the chorus hits with the self-assured sting of someone who’s decided that revenge is simply living better. The arrangement grows with cinematic strings that nod to her classical background — the drama’s there, but it’s under control. It’s the sound of the curtain rising on a new chapter, her confidence both weapon and shield.

Best moment: the final bridge, where her vocal softens for a bar before the full arrangement surges — like a thought briefly lost, then found sharper than before.

2. White Horse

After the thunder of “Vendetta,” “White Horse” reins things in — a mid-tempo daydream painted in gauzy piano and subtle percussion. Escobar flips the fairy tale: there’s no rescue here, just disillusionment handled with grace.

“This love ain’t for the weak. I think I might be fallin’ but I’m dragging my feet,” she sighs, and it’s devastating in its understatement. Her vocal phrasing — equal parts whisper and warning — pulls you close. The chorus lifts skyward with crystalline backing vocals, giving the illusion of sweetness even as the lyrics dismantle every romantic illusion. “Oh, if I let you in. Would that be wrong? Back up on the saddle. Up on a high horse.”

3. Sunny in London

(c) Izzy Escobar

The emotional centerpiece. “Sunny in London” is the song that anchors the EP’s world — heartbreak refracted through unexpected light. The track opens on violin and piano — a delicate prelude that immediately signals Escobar’s classical touch. Then comes the line that defines the record:

“At least it’s sunny in London.”

It’s the sort of lyric that sounds tossed off but lands like philosophy — a mantra for surviving heartbreak in a foreign city. The song shimmers with bittersweet irony: the weather’s better than her heart, but that’s enough. “It’s raining in my eyes, it’s pouring. So golden, my soul is snowing. Heartbreak is so damn annoying. But it’s sunny in London. At least it’s sunny in London.”

Musically, this is her most complete track: gentle but propulsive, polished yet personal. 

You can almost hear the city behind her — buses, wind, footsteps — all folding into the melody.

4. Nevermine

If “Sunny in London” is daylight, “Nevermine” is the deep-blue evening after. The tempo slows; the mood grows intimate. The track is wrapped in echo and soft string pads, with Escobar’s voice up close and unguarded.

Lyrically, it’s the most vulnerable song on the EP: she’s not angry or triumphant here — she’s reflective, replaying what went wrong but refusing to let it consume her. The repeated phrase “never mine, nevermine” plays like a spell — a quiet acceptance disguised as a refrain.

It’s hauntingly simple and emotionally complex — the kind of song that sneaks up on you a few listens later.

5. Three More Glasses

This one breaks the tension. “Three More Glasses” is her wink at the messiness of recovery — a barroom pop confessional that’s equal parts heartbreak and humour.

“I’m fine. But ask me again after three more glasses of wine. A little tipsy again while I spread your ashes. I’ll take some Cabernet, over you any day.” she laughs-sings over a steady groove, a grin audible between the notes. It’s where the EP finally exhales — a recognition that sometimes laughter (and a little liquor!) are survival tools. 

6. Jackie O

The closer is pure theatre — and the perfect outro. “Jackie O” turns a style icon into a metaphor for resilience. Over a confident, modern pop beat, Escobar declares her independence with the poise of its namesake: “I’ll be your First Lady. Sit here and waiting. For you to take me by the hand. Whisper that you’ll understand.”

It’s the EP’s most outward-facing moment — glamorous, self-possessed, ready for the spotlight again. After the introspection of the earlier tracks, “Jackie O” feels like the walk out of the rain — not pretending the heartbreak never happened, but wearing it like a crown. It’s a superb finish.

Final Thoughts

“Sunny in London” plays like a six-chapter memoir told in Technicolor — moving from fury to forgiveness to freedom. Escobar’s classical sensibilities give the EP a rare polish: violin and piano ground even the poppiest choruses in something organic, something earned.

Her voice carries warmth and intelligence. She knows when to soar and when to whisper. Like London sunlight, it never blinds — it glows. What’s most striking, though, is her emotional clarity. She doesn’t disguise pain behind production tricks; she lets it breathe, lets it transform. 

By the final chorus, “Sunny in London” feels less like a lyric and more like a philosophy — heartbreak weathered, identity reclaimed.

Rating: 9.5/10 — A luminous debut full of heart, discipline, and undeniable warmth. I cannot wait to hear what comes next!

Chris Garrod, November 4, 2025

Purchase or stream this from here: https://found.ee/SunnyinLondonEP

Here are some links to Escobar’s official social media profiles:

PS: I should mention that she released a fantastic single, “These Eyes”, earlier in March 2025, as a prelude to her debut EP. Must listen! “Kiss my kitchen goodbye. Pass by the bottles. From that night, you couldn’t swallow your damn pride. I guess that it’s fine… But you won’t forget these eyes.”