Review: Gabrielle De Val – Time To Die EP
Pride & Joy Music (February 6th, 2026)
Reviewer – Jason Hopper
I was not familiar with Gabrielle De Val before I came across her excellent cover of Magnum’s ‘Midnight (You Won’t Be Sleeping)‘ in 2024. I then checked out her solo debut album and found some great tracks there as well. With her third album ‘Revolution‘ on the horizon, Gabrielle has decided to give the world a preview track of what’s to come with her latest single, ‘Time To Die’. To entice fans further, she decided to release the song as part of an EP, including previously unreleased songs from last year’s ‘I Am The Hammer‘ and an original demo of a track off her debut.
I see why Gabrielle wanted to highlight this song and release it to promote an EP. The song is a beast! Gabrielle wails on this track, with the opening grabbing you by the throat to command your attention. I also dug the premise of the track. It’s a tribute to the 1982 sci-fi classic Blade Runner. The chorus is a verbatim translation of the speech Rutger Hauer’s character gives in the movie. It’s a bit of a strange concept, but Gabrielle’s dedication, intensity, and delivery make it work. Fast, furious, and effective.
‘The Jig-Saw Man’ was one of the two tracks that were left off of the previous album, and I can see why. While not a bad song, to my ears it sounds unfinished, like it needed a bit more work put into it. The problem lies in how the verses and chorus do not differentiate enough from each other. There’s a bridge but it’s a subtle transition. The tune rises one key for the chorus, but it all seems to blend together. If she did not repeat the title in the chorus, it would sound like an endless stream of verses.
‘Shine’ fares better. A mid-tempo, uplifting track. It’s feel-good approach has an air of pleasantness that is sure to put a smile on your face. Sure, it’s a bit cliched in its “Let Your Soul Shine” vernacular, but it does exactly what it set out to do, to lift you up and make you feel you can face the day.
Final track ‘Hold On’ is interesting in its minimalistic approach. The original track from the debut was re-arranged by Boston’s Gary Pihl and is grandiose. The track has a lot going on and is a bit “busy”. I prefer the stripped back simplicity of this version. Sometimes just a piano and an acoustic guitar go a long way. The song builds to include drums and other instruments, but it’s a natural progression that rides the line between bombastic and intimate. Singer Mick Devine covers more territory in this version, with Gabrielle serving as support.
Three out of four solid tracks here, which is a great ratio. I’m certainly looking forward to the new album, which was the point of the EP. Fans of course will snag this, but for those who are, like me, relatively new to her work, check this out upon release. For those looking for a physical product, Gabrielle is only selling 500 copies of the CD, so grab them while you can.
Tracklisting:
- Time To Die
- The Jig Saw Man
- Shine
- Hold On (feat. Mick Devine)
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