Authentic, astonishing—two words I don’t toss about, yet they’re the ones that have stayed with me after listening to Leeds-based singer Rhiannon Hope’s debut EP, AllThings, Rising and Returning.

The three tracks on the EP cover a lot of ground, feeling more earthy than folk with small tints which unite roots music from the English fields, perhaps to Portuguese Fado of the fish markets, perhaps to the Middle East and much beyond. None of them and yet all of them.

Hope creates an earthy, timeless sound that feels worldly, intimate, and quietly ancient. The EP title, All Things, Rising and Returning lifted from a Taoist fragment, frames the record with ideas of cycle, renewal, and return, giving the songs a reflective, spiritual undertow.

Hope says the EP was made with friends, and that communal spirit is audible: the arrangements feel lived-in and right, with nothing superfluous. Production is restrained and cohesive; every note has purpose and the record sounds complete without being crowded. The Leeds loose musical collective centred around Private Regcords, Vardy, and production maestro Evan Martin have built up an unstoppable creative traction.

The title track, “All Things Rising and Returning,” is the stand-out for me. Hope’s voice carries a commanding melancholy, aided with a musical score heavy on accordian, at times for me recalls the drama of Nico while balancing a sense of dawn, renewal, all with a feeling of passing.

Track “B.B.” follows like a bubbling stream, this time heavy on banjo and violin, with Hope’s pure vocal at the center. Its beauty is threaded through with the discomfort of feeling out of place. Every track has both a strong theme and direction, but there is a deliberate doubt threaded through.

“Indulge,” the closer on the streaming version of the EP, leans into jazzy, experimental textures and for me conjures echoes of Tim Buckley and Lorca; there is the tantalising prospect of a fourth, vinyl-only track to await collectors.

Influences such as Aldous Harding, perhaps folk like Kate Bush, and Scott Walker are suggested rather than imitated, letting Hope stretch her music stylistically while keeping a distinct voice.

All Things Rising and Returning is a mature, cohesive debut that rewards repeated listens and marks Rhiannon Hope as a singular new presence—soulful, curious, and quietly astonishing.

* words by Tiggerligger
* images from the artists social media