Djana Gabrielle is a French-Cameroonian indie folk singer/songwriter who is currently based in Glasgow. I first met her while we were both undertaking a course at the Glasgow Academy of Music and Sound and I was so impressed by her talent that I jumped at the chance to review her EP ‘That Very First Day’ which was released on the 4th December 2015. I was also lucky enough to get an interview with Djana Gabrielle which you can check out here.
‘Dance with me’ is the first track on her debut EP and it shows instantly something that will become very clear when you listen to the EP yourself, she has the power to lift you up with her powerful and melodic voice. Now I know a lot of people who can sing but very rarely am I just so lost for words at someone’s voice. But I’ll do my best because I’m very rarely stuck on what to say for very long. She manages to blend hopefulness and melancholy so well that they seem to be dancing themselves.
‘That very first day’ opens with a lovely acoustic guitar which accompanies her incredible voice, now the more observant of you will hear that twang of french in her voice, I think this adds something to her voice, some character that gives each track that little extra. Like the previous track its uncomplicated, not flashy but instead just honest. And frankly quite beautiful.
‘Denial’ Denial continues to show of her beautiful and powerful voice, this song in particular evokes strong feeling, in particular retrospection, you just want to look back at your life when listening to a track like this. Despite that it does have a really good beat, I’d really like to hear this song live to see how the room reacts to it. I think it’s perhaps my favourite track on the EP.
‘Eloise’ is just the definition of folk music, the combination of instrument and vocals are just perfect, Eloise, just carries so well and it’s one of those tracks that you need to listen to a few times, just letting it wash over you. Each of these tracks just has an incredibly calming effect, especially this one and I’m sure I’ll be listening to it for years to come.
‘I should have’ has a slightly different vibe, to the previous tracks, it’s not something I can explain, I think it just has an edge the previous songs don’t have. Its at this point I want to mention how lyrically complex these songs are, and how well they flow, they don’t just rely on a catchy chorus instead they do what a song should and tell a story from start to finish.
So that’s what I thought of Djana Gabrielle’s EP ‘That Very First Day’ and if you want to check that out for yourself then head on over to Bandcamp. While you’re at it go ahead and check out her website, and support Djana by following her on Facebook and Twitter.
First Published on: https://www.newhellfireclub.co.uk
Off the Record is and always will be a free platform, but if you like what we do here and want to contribute to the production of future content then you can do so by donating to our PayPal or Ko-Fi.
Off the Record 