After releasing her debut single “Follow You Home” at the age of 15, London-based indie pop artist Natalie Shay spent four years developing her sound and live performance. This week, she’s back with “This Feeling,” an explosively energetic piece of guitar pop that shows the fruits of that growth period.

Shay’s previous tracks centered on the acoustic guitar, but “This Feeling” is all electric, recalling early 2000s pop-rock, and it suits her. A driving beat and catchy lead guitar riff propel the track at a breakneck pace, clocking in at just over three minutes, but managing to feel much quicker.

“With that look of disdain, don’t complain if the whole thing implodes,” she sings, reflecting on the volatility of young love–which is what makes it so euphoric, after all.

Producer Pete Dowsett presides over a compact, punchy mix. Synchronized cymbal and bass hits accentuate the melody, which Shay sings with confidence of a seasoned performer. The band hurtles through starts, stops, and crescendos all perfectly plotted to keep the energy flowing and the hooks consistently satisfying.

In press for the single, Shay notes that she made a point of using live instrumentation, and the decision pays off in the track’s overall warmth. Other production elements, like the vinyl record crackles under the guitar intro, complete the aesthetic.

Shay’s talents as a vocalist, guitarist, and ballad-writer were apparent from her earlier work, but “This Feeling” shows her continuing to grow into a multi-faceted artist. She’s starting 2018 with a bang, and its going to be thrilling to watch what’s next.

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