Gurli Octavia – I Could Be Blossoming Instead 
(Integrity
Records)
Release Date: 29th January 2021
The debut single release from
Gurli Octavia at the tail end of 2020 was the light at the end of a very long and
dark tunnel so getting the full album this early in 2021 feels like finally
breathing in fresh air when you’ve only been able to inhale dark, dank, smoky
tunnel fumes. ‘I Could Be Blossoming Instead’ is the debut long player from the
Danish singer-songwriter and even on first listen I can tell that this might
just be the record you need in 2021.
‘Chain’ is the opening track of
the album and it open with a solitary bass line with Octavia’s vocal joining in
to draw your attention away from the noise of the world. The track evolves and
emerges in to a slick and soulful alt-pop track to soothe the nerves but also
empower your spirit when the weight of the world is on your shoulders. ‘Party’
is up next and there’s a ethereal, dream-like quality to trip-hop meets soul melodies
while Octavia’s voice is reminiscent of Nelly Furtado in her earlier days. On ‘I
Wasn’t Ready’, there is an exploration of the more folky side of the Dane’s
music as the soft vocal tones drift over the patter of percussion and gentle,
almost celtic melodies before ‘Slow Life’ takes an uncomplicated acoustic
melody and builds upon it in to something that sounds and feels like a long lost
Fleetwood Mac track.
Following the interlude ‘Night’
(a genuinely peaceful and beautiful two minutes of intimacy), Octavia unleashes
‘Keep Your Ambitions in Stock’ blends her Fleetwood Mac influence with a more
traditional folk vibe to create a timeless melody. On ‘Tomorrow I’m a Man’ there
are hints of Laura Marling and Feist while ‘Have & Hold’ has the vibe of uplifting
relief that you get at the end of a long winter or a poisonous relationship.
Unusually for the middle of an album, Octavia drops a live version of ‘Most of
All’ recorded at Atlas, Aarhus, back in 2019 which would be emotional enough
were it not for the fact that it reminds us of how much we miss live music. Oh
God I miss live music.
‘Vulnerable’ presents another
interlude which focuses largely on Octavia’s voice before ‘Spinning’ enters the
alt-pop sphere with some 80s style and a real sense of space that is different
to the intimacy on the first part of the album. ‘Drinks’ keeps this energy
going with a mix of LadyHawke and Christine and the Queens making the bass pop
and the synths glide effortlessly all over the mix. The gorgeous guitars of ‘Lilac
Rose’ bring back that intimacy but those gorgeous chord changes and the
emotional power are pure Florence + the Machine in terms of impact. ‘We Leave
the Night Young’ has a real end of movie vibe in a lo-fi, heart-warming story kinda
way while the final track, ‘X-Ray’ brings that debut single back to remind us
why we fell in love with Gurli Octavia in the first place.
I say final track but if you buy
the vinyl version (out 5th February) you will get stripped versions
of ‘Party’, ‘Have & Hold’ and ‘Lilac Rose’ as well as additional song ‘Hush
Little Soul’ – a honky tonk piano lament that also has a cinematic sense to it
but for a darker, more brooding film. It is incredibly easy to use words like
timeless, intimate, delicate and beautiful about this album but the really
impressive factor here is that Gurli Octavia has presented 19 tracks of unique
and individual purity which speak to a range of different emotions…..and this
was her debut. Definitely an artist to get involved with in 2021.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/gurlioctaviaofficial