Don’t judge a book by its cover – no truer words have ever been frequently quoted, especially in literature and music. Is Elishaua a rapper, trapper or an R&B artist? Maybe he is all three. Fact is, on the single “Innocent”, his voice is sharp and pointed, effortlessly crafting melodies from thin air. I couldn’t tell you a moment on this track that doesn’t feel organic, and it’s because of Elishaua’s understanding of his own voice. Running through his tracks, you hear slow and languorous tempos, pillowy synths, delicate little ripples of fuzzed-out psych guitar, neck-snap beats smothered in vast volumes of melodic honey. The fusion of well-chosen instrumentation, layered vocals, and baroque-tinged songwriting feels both loosely improvisational and impossibly dense, setting a high bar for any crop of slow jams.
“Innocent” presents a variety of conflicting emotions under the guise of a single prevailing pose, as it cycles through a litany of takes on the tortured love song. Elishaua’s cocktail of angst, pained perplexity, and damaged tenderness is relevant, acknowledging the complicated realities of modern-day pressures while pushing to breakthrough its boundaries.
The track is a powerful, searing statement, and like his peers, Elishaua has suss, sparkle and spirit to pull it off. It is a recording that truly draws you into its world, and takes you on a dreamlike cerebral journey.
“Innocent” is a more than impressive project that will satisfy a listener looking for musicality and a sonic adventure, through a more raw and profound universe than they’re used to from regular urban music. Elishaua, however, isn’t concerned with simply churning out radio tracks.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t have released “Innocent”, which sounds unlike anything you’ll hear in 2019. The fusion of sounds, the concept, and the narrative, show that Elishaua is knocking it out of the park with his artistic growth.
Elishaua’s smooth voice glides effortlessly over the melancholic melody in this song and echoes vibrantly throughout the track. Furthermore, you’ll really enjoy the lyrics which are both confrontational and confessional, in this song. “Innocent” is at once bold and challenging but also a breezy listen.
The kind of confident restraint Elishaua displays on the song provides a nice contrast to the brooding beat and hazy sonics. There’s an urgency to the record that feels at one with the more underlying turmoil inherent in the arrangement.
Elishaua has an uncanny ability to create memorable hooks, yet still have artfully crafted and interesting songs that don’t have generic, radio-geared beats. This can be easily heard on “Run away”, with its jangly guitar driven rhythm.
The strength of Elishaua’s music rests entirely on his vision, evident in the varied directions he takes. “Run away” is an appealing, inventive alt-pop influenced track, with none of pop’s trappings, and well worth a listen. Musically, the build and release of verse and chorus are spot on and again, lyrically, he nails it with poignant and accurate introspection.
Both of the aforementioned tracks are nothing short of a determined foray into an uncharted musical scope, and for that, they will probably have considerable staying power.
OFFICIAL LINKS: SOUNDCLOUD – INSTAGRAM
