In the second half of 2023, following a handful of digital singles, alternative rock band Pollyanna Blue released their long anticipated debut EP. It did not disappoint. With four songs melding the sounds of 90s grunge with the light electronica of bands like Metric, the material had a brilliant crossover sound, but with very conscious lyrics dealing with themes of depression and other mental health issues, it also had an edge that some new, young bands lack.

‘Strong Enough’ is a track that shows off the band’s hybrid sound well. It isn’t by any means the EP’s best track, but it’s marriage of melody and lyric provides a great showcase of the Pollyanna Blue ethos. The core of the melody revisits a similar retro grunge territory to that of Hands Off Gretel, but does a much smarter job. Wading through some decidedly mid 90s sounds, Zoe Collins wastes no time in unveiling a brilliantly sultry vocal which becomes even bigger when the main hook hits, whilst bassist Rich Earle anchors everything with a solid bottom end. With far bigger melodies informing a great chorus, Pollyanna Blue’s mix of pop, rock and alternative metal dances across the full spectrum of noise, and with a wordless interlude that teases with an almost Arabic melody, there’s a lot packed into a relatively short space of time.

The number now has an official video, which you can watch below.