REVIEW: Evija Smagare “Let there be silence” – Music

Singer and songwriter Evija Smagare’s debut album with ten compositions in Latvian, English and Russian, work on which started in 2018. Stylistically, it ranges from rock, pop, hip-hop and r’n’b to indi and electronic music. “Silence is the beginning of everything, just like the day before the big bang. In silence you can hear everything and not hear anything, silence is true and fragile, it is elusive, ”Evija Smagare’s team prepares for the mood of the album.

The message of the album includes existential themes, where everyday situations related to relationships, choices and courage alternate with global themes about the world and man’s place in it. “I have always been fascinated by how music and sound can create, influence and change a person’s feelings, so the main determining factor when writing the album was feeling. The synergy of the song’s message and sound is important to me, because combining these elements in a successful composition can lead to the desired effect. I was happy to experiment, so I tried not to limit myself either stylistically or thematically, which, in my opinion, is completely normal when working on my first album and looking for my musical direction, ”says Evija. This stylistic diversity has also been influenced by the collaboration with producer Makree, rapper Nakts and multi-artist Artūrs Jenotas (formerly known as Ipsters Kūns), who have given the album a more refreshing sound. It should also be added that the author of the lyrics and music of the songs included in the album is Evija herself, its producer is Armands Varslavāns, who is also a co-author of the music, moreover, the musicians of her accompanying group also co-authored. Some singles have already sounded on radio stations last year and even two years ago – “Lielceļš”, “Against Stream” and “Let Silence Come Out”.

BY. Surprisingly pleasant, interesting and full of fresh sound album. Although – surprisingly, Evija Smagare has not appeared from Nowhere, but eight years ago she was noted as a guest soloist in the “Brainstorm” tour “Another Still Life”, later she was also seen in the competition “Supernova ‘2018” as a group “In My Head ”Vocalist, has also participated in other projects. The best seemingly rhythmic and electropopy songs “Love & Salt” and “Hold Me” – Evija sounds somehow better in the English repertoire. But also quite interesting is the collaboration with Nakti “Let Silence Come” and the dance “Against the Stream” (together with DJ Makree), as well as some other pieces. The timbre Evija sometimes sounds like Agnese Rakovska, the most electronic compositions are also pulled a bit in the direction of “Triana Park”, but this is not bad at all.

PRICE. Some songs are too slow in their running, and I would like a compositional solution for them, but they also sound like that – with nothing. Examples are “I go further” and “Doors”. It is doubtful whether the album should have included the Russian-language “Zahodi”, but there is no doubt that it should not have included a piece like “In the Room”.

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