Ballsy is appropriately named; the independent effort by Isabelle Banos is brilliant, ballsy work. It takes a lot of courage to pursue a solo endeavor, and she has the guts to see it through—and the skill!

Her production work is perhaps the most impressive element of the record. Banos knows her vocal range and instrumentation style better than anyone, and it shows, since the entire thing is expertly curated, indicating years of practice before anybody heard what she was working on. Banos’ songwriting ability is equally, if not more impressive. Her lyricism is relatable enough without being cheesy, and her composition technique creates a well-rounded final product.

My personal favorite song in the ep is "Person,” as it encapsulates this phenomenon perfectly. Banos removes rose-colored glasses from her perspective, recognizing that even your biggest idols are people, just like the rest of us. Sonically, her vocal range stands out the most in this track. I would love to hear her experiment a bit more vocally because it seems as though there is some untapped potential for her as a vocalist. As a fellow Jack (or Jill) of All Trades, it is easy to recognize one or two key moving parts as strengths. However, she is a strong vocalist and could do a lot with the emotional, raspy grit she was gifted with.

Independent labels should be flocking to Ballsy post ‘Bisou’ release. Some of her songs, like “Joe Millionaire” are a pop-rock dream, ready to grace alternative radio stations & Top 100 lists.

One of the best parts of my job is getting to boast about “knowing (artists) when….” I firmly believe that Ballsy is one of those artists!

The album drops tomorrow, April 5th. Listen to the first single by clicking below now!