Single Reviews: January 27th 2022: The Lost Days, Rokia Koné, Dalila Kayros, Gabriel Kahan, Julian Zyklus
folk
In the Fade, the most recent single from Californian folkies The Lost Days, is a wholesome affair marked by heavily strummed acoustic guitar, loose tambourine, understated vocals, and sliding bass licks. The girl/boy harmonization of the vocals create a pretty vibe held together by a solid song structure complete with verse, bridge, and chorus all fit into a neat 2 minute package. There's practically nothing wrong with this track, save for the awkwardly faded out ending, but one shouldn't notice; by the time the 2 minute mark comes along, the job has already been done.
african
There are just some voices that need to be heard, and Rokia Koné has one of them. There is a mastery of vocal performance here that is undeniable, and the seriousness with which these lyrics are delivered can be more than moving. Coupling this talent and obvious passion for the art of song with a producer like Jacknife Lee was always bound to produce something great. 'Kurunba' is a fantastic, afro funk dance crossover, letting Koné's Malian instincts take center stage while adding just enough decoration to the production to highlight its inherent joy.
avant-garde/pop/electronic
Italian singer, composer, and vocal researcher Dalila Kayros has been active on the alternative music scene in Europe since the release of her 2013 album NUHK. ANIMAMI, the title-track of her forthcoming album, is a tight blast of dark, experimental avant-pop. Kayros delivers her words in a blend of dramatic characterizations and perfervid falsetto sweeps. Heavily produced drums hit with both snappy kicks and reverberated strikes. For a track of its relatively short running time, ANIMAMI is a strong statement, and points to an album worth getting excited about.
folk
Within the first 30 seconds of Sit Shiva, you are provided with a bonny intro, image-painting lyrics, and sonic experimentation all done with more pizzazz than most songs manage in their entirety. This single is a rich listen, and much like a thick chocolate cake, may feel like an overload. There is a lot to digest in this pandemic-era story of the emotional confusion that comes with on-line connections. It's a good thing the song as a whole is so bloody enjoyable. Comparisons to Sufjan Stevens are unavoidable, with lyrics that act more like prose and that fit neatly into a kind of self-aware twee folk. There is more of a musical theatre flavour to Kahan's voice however, and he has perfected the craft of setting a scene in one lyric: "Milkshake at the Automat in Morningside Heights."
Waterpiano n.1 - Julian Zyklus
ambient
Piano is sexy. Water is sexy. What do you get when you mix the two? Sexy water piano. Thought such a thing was too good to be true? Introduce yourself to Waterpiano. n1, the first taste of Waterpiano, the upcoming release by Italian artist Julian Zyklus. If the introduction to this review made this track sound gimmicky, I have done a disservice. Zyklus doesn't merely mix some water sounds over neo-classical piano, instead he creates music that gives you the sense of being surrounded by water; bubbles of delay racing to the top of an ambient, evolving ocean. Midway through the track, the piano seems to become submerged in the water, the eq losing itself to the depths, only to emerge again for air. An absorbing listen (pun intended).