Bella Shields has already assembled a rather impressive musical toolkit.
The Dublin-based singer-songwriter plays piano, guitar, cello, saxophone, drums and bass. She also writes and performs her own material, and “One Wish”, out now via Now Listen, is the latest release to carry that work beyond the live setting.
It is worth putting the song into that context because Bella is not being introduced here simply as a vocalist. She is building herself as a musician from several different directions at once.
“One Wish” is her third official single, following her debut “Claddagh Ring”, and it finds her taking on a very personal subject. The song deals with the frustration of liking somebody who has feelings for another person, but Bella approaches it through a series of imagined situations rather than telling a conventional romantic story.
That gives the release a useful sense of character, and the songwriting is not limited to the obvious version of teenage romance. Bella is interested in jealousy, fantasy, disappointment and the awkward possibility of remaining friends with someone you want more from.
Three official singles may still be the early stages of a catalogue, but Bella has plenty of musical ground to build from. “One Wish” adds another piece to that picture, while showing that songwriting is clearly as important to her as the instruments she plays.