London soul singer MARIE NAFFAH will releases her debut EP tomorrow April 9th 2021 via Frictionless Music titled “Golden State” — a project that was inspired by the sights, sounds and feelings she encountered on a life-changing trip the musician took across America’s West Coast.
The EP has been recorded with Neil Comber (Florence + The Machine, Glass Animals, Charli XCX) with Matt Colton (Arctic Monkeys, Christine and the Queens) and Simon Byrt (Pixx, Charlotte OC, Babeheaven)
“The Cage” is a thumping oriental-sounding epiphany. The undulations of rhythm (and those fabulous handclapped snowy peaks) somehow trace the topographic bluffs and swells of California’s Highway 1 (parenthetically, it’s a highway that dramatically disintegrated into itself earlier this year, but anyhow…) the voice is desiccated and kinda wry — but vibrationally it’s amicable with mustard-seed wistfulness disguised under all that hazelnut and chocolate lustre.
“California” is unavoidably melancholic and in many ways it’s a song that mandates the entire EP: it’s as if Marie found hidden “truth” in the dancing sun. Perhaps it was the kind of truth that makes a person speculate on uncertainties and puzzle about assumptions? Nevertheless, this is the strongest number on the disc and comes packed with a splendid chorus.
“Wasteland” (video shared below) is a bass-led fumble. There are plenty of elbowing beats that clamber around a litter of background hoots. The song is almondy-seductive. And the listening experience is one of cautious agreement and priceless memory. Extraordinary!
File alongside: Florence Welch
Grab the EP here: https://frictionless-music.ffm.to/goldenstate
Words: @neilmach 2021 ©
Link: https://www.facebook.com/marienaffahmusic/
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