It's easy to compare Billie Eilish to similar-sounding artists, but she operates on a whole other level in a way that's hard to explain.
If ever there was an example of the mysterious "X-factor" people always talk about, Don't Smile At Me is it.
READ MORE: Is Billie Eilish the future of pop? We'll soon find out
The 8-track EP opens with the insanely dark, brooding mission statement that is Copycat, its booming bassline, lush electronics and incredibly clear and controlled vocals going from sweet and ethereal to low and gutsy as hell.
From there, comparisons to New Zealand's own Lorde seem inevitable; between the edgy production, the simplistic yet poetic lyricism, and that way they both have of singing sweetly about the darkest things, and then there's the fact that she's only 15.
Eilish wrote the EP herself with her brother Finneas O'Connell, who is just 19, yet produced the entire thing, which is impressive in general but when you hear the depth of that production it's mind-blowing.
As is the writing. It's an album about relationships, trying to build your identity as a teenager, falling in love and jumping back out of it, struggling with liking yourself and how you look, and sometimes Eilish just gets into a whole new character to tell a story.
On Bellyache, she channels a psychopath singing: "Sittin' all alone, mouth full of gum in the driveway / My friends aren't far, in the back of my car / Lay their bodies."
Don't Smile At Me is an awesome collection of hip-hop and jazz-influenced pop with incredible production, colourful storytelling and a tonne of attitude that you need to hear.
Billie Eilish, Don't Smile At Me
Artist: Billie Eilish
Album: Don't Smile At Me
Label: Universal Music
Verdict: Dark, poetic pop with one hell of an attitude.
