Recently NMC has been gravitating back in the direction of its roots as a supporter of Nordic alt/indie pop and rock but there’s always a place for high quality pop that’s more of the mainstream variety.
There will be a few of them over the next couple of weeks.
First up is Sweden’s Bella Skyller, who previously featured here in February of last year with a video premiere for ‘Alone with me’ as she performed at a festival in Sweden. I think I’m right in saying it was the most viewed article in a single day in the history of NMC.
We noted at the time how she is something of a transatlantic hopper, having moved to Los Angeles as a teenager to dedicate herself to her music career and to study at the prestigious Musicians Institute in Hollywood (where the fees aren’t cheap and from which Jeff Buckley was apparently an alumnus) before returning to Sweden full of song ideas created together with the American producer John Samuel Gerhart.
Also that her songs are about love in different forms – including physical, romantic, platonic and obsessive, and life as a ‘restless’ girl, writing from her own life experiences, which are many and varied by all accounts.
Bella Skyller’s music style is classic pop, with influences from R&B and that’s the case here with ‘Home with you’.
I’m wondering if ‘Alone with me’ and ‘Home with you’ are parts one and two of a trilogy, and, if so, how the story will pan out in the final part, and what it might be called. Gone with another?
The first single was a slow burner as she simmered over a toxic relationship that had turned bad. This time it’s an all-action MMA fight to a crisp beat and plenty of percussion as she reveals how being ‘home with you’ isn’t the answer either. That concussive percussion amounts to war drums at times.
She’s still alone but doesn’t seem to be able to decide whether she prefers to be trending her on lover’s phone or for potential suitors to be waiting in a long line for her.
It might be an instant gratification society, especially in LA, but you can’t have it both ways, Bella.
What she can have both ways is a wider vocal range here than she displayed on the earlier song, one which seems to swing between contralto and mezzo-soprano quite effortlessly.
The lady can sing; that’s for sure. Her songs are well written but it will be that voice which marks her out.
‘Home with you’ is out now on the Comedia label.
Find her on:
Website: https://www.bellaskyller.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bellaskyller
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellaskyller/
