Songstress Delilah: Peaking the Charts and Piquing your Interest

For a country smaller than the state of Florida, England incessantly burgeons with musical talent. A modern “British Invasion” has emerged on this year’s music front, with radio charts offering an English mash-up of thumping bass and the thrum of banjos. From Alex Clare’s experimental drum-and-bass to Ellie Goulding’s indie pop melodies, the eclectic range of British influence has made an influential mark on the contemporary music scene.

Another innovative artist climbing the UK charts is twenty-two year old Delilah; a London-based songstress gaining notable praise with her debut album, “From the Roots Up.” The freshman LP skillfully combines ambient, electro-bass beats with sultry, R&B vocals; successfully achieving a bold range of genre-bending tracks.

Delilah’s first single “Go” samples lyrics from the 1983 Chaka Khan hit, “Ain’t Nobody,” while flawlessly incorporating her own edgy, carnal-driven undertones. The provocative track peaked at #21 on the UK Singles Chart, and amassed heavy radio rotation.

“From the Roots Up” is a candid showcase of Delilah’s lyrical versatility, offering realistic – at times haunting – accounts of love and lust. Physical expression is glorified throughout the album, highlighting her frank and unapologetic approach to sexuality.

Delilah is certainly an artist on the rise, presenting a fresh culmination of innovation and talent, but what’s your opinion? Take a peek at the creative video for her single, “Love You So,” and see if this English artist tickles your fancy….

  

La Forza: Dance Music for Your Mind Vol. 1

Back in the first half of the ‘90s, “dance music for your mind” was basically anything bouncing around the ambient and trance genres. To some extent, those charlatans known as Enigma would have also fit in there somewhere. In the case of La Forza (a.k.a. Divina Klein and Doug Mackar), though, the title translates into something more succinct as “cheesy desktop PC-created electronica.” Face it: if there’s one genre that is a completely hit-or-miss affair, it’s electronica. It might be because it’s so damned easy to create these days, or it may just simply be because there are no real “rules” to follow when making it. Whatever the case, this album is simply a snooze from start to finish. With titles like “Vision Quest,” “Approaching Levitation,” “The Sound of Clouds” and “To Connect to Eternity,” you can pretty much figure out what this is going to sound like before you even press play. Lots of listless, tranquil droning sound montages that never go anywhere “intended to support contemplation, incite imagination, and increase neuro-plasticity.” Sure, whatever you say. It’s probably safe to say that your imagination will be better sparked simply by opening your nearest window. And if you’re really concerned about your “neuro-plasticity,” you might want to crawl right out that window and get outside some more. Let’s hope there’s not a second volume in the works. (self-released)

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