May, Eva - Softly/I Saw Three Ships

"Softly", the A-side of the single that Eva recorded for the Snowflakes Christmas Singles Club, was written by Eva and Pat Benjamin, who is part of the experimental electronic jazz group Tara Clerkin Trio. Pat accompanies Eva on piano, synthesiser and melodica in the song. While the folk and choral elements remain, "Softly" incorporates elements of various other musical styles, including avant-garde jazz, minimalism, and downtempo. These elements come together to create a meditative song, with Eva’s multi-tracked vocals adding to the atmosphere, sometimes harmonising and sometimes singing in canon with words reflecting different aspects of the Christmas season. "Softly" undoubtedly sounds like a Christmas song, but not like the ones you hear on the radio at Christmastime. It offers a fresh take on Christmas music.

On the B-side, Eva covers the well-known English carol “I Saw Three Ships”. Eva’s pristine vocals and James Bonney’s subtle guitar playing complement the carol’s sacred atmosphere perfectly, while the use of an e-bow and electronic post-production give the song a slightly unsettling feel. It's as if it foreshadows the tragedies and cruelties that the newborn child will face throughout his lifetime.