There’s a quiet menace simmering beneath the surface of Sofia Isella’s latest EP, Something Is A Shell, the kind seems like smoke and then you discover the raging fire within. Drawing inspiration from the incendiary words of Sylvia Plath, particularly the defiant resurrection in Lady Lazarus, Isella constructs her own world where femininity is not merely explored but dissected, challenged, and in the end, reborn. Plath’s famous declaration—rising from the ashes with vengeance and autonomy—serves as a spiritual blueprint for the EP.

Yet Isella is no mere disciple. Instead, she channels that ferocity into the modern world, weaving together poetic lyricism with atmospheric soundscapes come across both intimate and intimidating. The result is a collection of songs that confront the cultural mythology of “good-girlhood” and the suffocating expectations placed upon women.

Literary influences run deep. The dystopian unease of Margaret Atwood and the psychological surrealism of Mona Awad echo throughout the EP’s prose. Isella mutates these inspirations into lyrics that peel back the veneer of femininity, exposing what lies beneath. Her songs plunge in headfirst, unafraid of what shining a light on everything may reveal. Musically, ethereal melodies give way to intense emotional edges, Isella’s voice acting as both guide and protagonist. Floating from whispered confession to cold-blooded command, she embodies the duality of fragility and strength.

What makes Something Is A Shell particularly compelling is its sense of metamorphosis. The “shell” of the title can mean both protection and confinement, a barrier that must be broken for the true identity to emerge. Throughout it all, Isella negotiates this voyage with truth and clarity. Think of it all as something like a poetic exorcism, one that confronts what’s expected and reshapes it into what’s actually real.