Ida Elena is a driven, talented and emotional artist with a passion for the melodies of folk and the gritty energy of heavy metal.
Her recent release, “Native Spirit”, is a forward-thinking EP, which showcases the artist’s broad-ranging creativity and unique songwriting skills. The music on this EP is a particularly exciting collection of song, stretching the artist’s vision towards different directions. There are many artists who play folk/metal music, however, some of them fail to realize the full potential of the blend of these two different musical worlds.
It is so common to find artists who play music that is essentially straight-up rock, but with some folky instruments in it. On the other hand, Ida Elena stands out for her sound because her songs are seamlessly arranged based on the combination of genres. Besides the incredible musical performance, the sound of this EP boasts a really excellent production value, making for a wide-ranging tone and a really modern clarity.
This isn’t some rock/metal EP with a bunch of folk sounds in it, but a balanced and well-arranged combination of styles, where the best of both worlds collide. Take the EP’s lead single, “The Butterfly” for example, this song has a mellow and timeless beginning, where the folk side of the mix is more predominant.
Ida’s expressive and far-reaching vocals blend in with the warmth of the acoustic guitar and the other folk instruments, but the song later takes on a different dimension, as the drums kick in, retaining the folk stomp spirit, but bringing in a modern rock edge that feels massive and direct. The pace picks up, and so does the intensity of the performance itself. The electric guitar drops in at nearly 2 minutes into the song, and it brings a fantastic change of scenery to the song. The arrangement is exciting and creatively rewarding, with lots of incredible dynamics.
This is only one of the many highlights of “Native Spirit”, an EP that showcases the artist’s musicianship and spot-on interpretation of what folk/metal could be, and should be!
[one_half] Release Date: June 23, 2017
Run Time: 17:28
Label: Maqueta Records
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Track Listing:
1. Rhunes in My Pocket
2. ‘Til My Last Breathe
3. The Butterfly
4. Native Spirit
5. Folliapoesia
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