REVIA Magazine Issue #11

m u s i c
Top Female Vocal Tracks
to Enjoy This Fall (part I)
By: Christian Davis
& Monica Dolecka
The Civil Wars - Falling
– Featuring Joy Williams
(Christian’s pick)
With dark lyrics of love, this folk
duet spellbinds audiences with
their vocal chemistry and their
uncanny image as two Alabaman
sweethearts, circa 1864. The
captivating pair, comprised
of the ever-enticing Joy
Williams and the handsome
John Paul White, originally
met at a songwriting workshop
in Nashville in 2008
(144 years after their ghosts
THE CIVIL WARS
were buried holding hands in a
confederate cemetery from the
American Civil War). Following
their first single, “Falling”, the
duo’s first album Barton Hollow
sold 623K copies, landing them
the first of four Grammy Awards
for Best Folk Album, and was
the No. 1 album on iTunes and
Billboard Folk Albums chart.
Fans were devastated when the
couple split in 2014.
HAERTS
Haerts – All the Days –
Featuring Nini Fabi
(Monica’s pick)
Formed in 2010, Haerts hails
from the heart of Brooklyn.
Nini Fabi, Ben Gebert, Garrett
Lenner, and Derek McWilliam
first tied their unique talents
after joining souls as music
students at the Iceland Academy
of Arts – and they’ve been on
fire ever since. Their first album,
Hemiplegia, was released in
October 2013 and has
topped charts across the
globe. Nini’s voice is
one of a modern Stevie
Nicks, a confident
feminine roar reflecting
a woman proud of her
eclectic spirit – yet sultry
– as her hum echoes
into a soft background
of xylophone, guitar and
tambourine. Nini’s contralto
voice invigorates the air with
power and passion, while instantaneously
humming back
to cloak the soft strum of the
guitar. “All the Days” oozes of
melodious beach instruments,
evoking a story of emotions
about life, loss and coveted
summer love. Haerts undeniably
celebrates a fondness for
the simple life. The group is
currently touring this summer in
both America and Europe.
The Hics - Tangle –
Featuring Roxane Dayette
(Christian’s pick)
The Hics, an admittedly lackluster
monicker, is actually derived
from Hickory, the type of wood
used to make drumsticks. The
mellow, urban and somewhat
tribal vibe of this 6-piece electronic
act is likewise comprised
of a female and male vocal duet,
starring the mellifluous Roxane
Dayette and baritone, Sam Paul
Evans. Lyrically, they deliver an
awe-inspiring blend of riddles
that thematically play into the
locked horns of intimacy and
individuality, and their metaphors
address the persuasive
elements at play when it
comes to falling both in and
out of love; hence, “Tangle,
be close, just go, too close,
confined to illusion pulling me
in, dissolving before me, about
to give in.” After having met at
Pimlico Academy in Westminster
London, the group released
their first full length EP Tangle,
in August of 2013.
Lykke Li - I Never Learn
(Monica’s pick)
Swedish-born indie-pop singer,
Lykke’s Li’s first single, “Follow
Rivers” (2011) borrows the
girlish swagger of modern popmuse,
Ellie Goulding. Lykke’s
vocals emit into the air a soft
sweetness, although her lyrics
explicitly assure women as powerful
and self-sufficient beings
who endure some of life’s toughest
hardships.
Her solo soprano
voice is timeless, incorporating
elements of
electronica, indie-house
and classical, blended
with traditional pop
and alternative. Lykke’s
lyrics flow as one melodious
string of love
quotes and random life
mishaps. Her down-toearth
attitude rings with positivism,
as well as realism, expressing
all the happiness love brings,
whilst sustaining the awareness
that sometimes loss collides with
love. “I Never Learn” reminds us
to learn from our mistakes and
know when it’s time to move on.
THE HICS
LYKKE LI
“Haven’t you seen me
sleepwalking?
‘Cause I’ve been holding
your hand.”
Top Tracks:
“Barton Hollow”,
“Falling”
“Golden things, we
drew our names in the
water. Now you’re gone
– a love gone wrong –
but I’ll make it.”
Top Tracks:
“Wings”, “All the Days”
“Search for the
divine to find the
soul, the soul that
encaptured mine.”
Top Tracks:
“Tangle”,
“Lines”
“I'm your star
crossed lover. I lie
here like a starless
lover. I'll die here as
your phantom lover.”
Top Tracks: “I Never
Learn”, “Follow Rivers”
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revia reviamagazine.com #11, 2015