Nika Roza Danilova usually houses her songs in a gritty, gothic framework, but here she’s repurposed some of her older pieces for orchestral strings. The result is a more directly operatic sound, though she also adds percussion to several of these tracks. The best moments of this album are the ones where Danilova strips the songs down to essentials, refining the emotion of the music so unnecessary stuff doesn’t get in the way. The songs are less powerful when she adds more elements (usually percussive) than the album’s bare atmosphere can withstand. This is a cool experiment, so hopefully Danilova will continue to incorporate strings into her work. Favorites: 1, 3, 4, 9. No FCCs.

1. *(4:55)—Slow, stately and bright (key of C major). Stays calm and never builds. Ends on a slightly dark note.
2. (4:27)—Mid-tempo and upbeat. Poppier style. Epic 80s-ish drums slide in. Strings offer some dissonance.
3. *(3:42)—Medium-fast. Staccato strings. Feels starker than the previous two songs—nice.
4. *(3:42)—Medium-fast. Darker feel to this one. Drums again, but this time more subdued.
5. (3:31)—Medium-fast. Dance beat. Lots of background vocal tracks. Not really digging it.
6. (5:01)—Slow. Smooth, melancholy strings. The drum programming feels overdone in this context.
7. (3:24)—Slow, dark, a little dissonant. The drums here are really unnecessary, but this is still pretty.
8. (3:24)—Medium-fast. Again, the strings are gorgeous and full, but the drums and effects distract from the emotional core of the song.
9. *(4:07)—Slow and drum-less. Similar to the first track in its balance of drama, melancholy, and lightness. This one builds to a climax, though.
10. (4:52)—Slow, dark, and bouncy. Features drum programming and minimal synths.
-DJ Away