Regular readers will know that irregular reasons will attract me to a new release. While we rarely cover mainstream pop and leave it to Scandipop, what first got my attention here was the title, which is (almost) the same as Peter Gabriel’s song about his attempts to repair his relationship with his daughter following his divorce, the live performance of which, with Paula Cole, was breathtaking.
But I digress, already.
Another reason is that RABO is on the same label, Petroleum Records, as Aurora and Sigrid, and you don’t mix in those circles unless you have something about you.
She’s Oslo-born but has travelled the world, working as a surfing instructor, before she was pandemic-ed back to Norway and discovered music.
It seems she started off by writing songs for others, including K-pop girl band Aespa, but soon yearned to hear her own voice.
And it is that voice which is her stand out feature on debut single ‘Talk to me’. While it isn’t unique it assuredly is unusual, a little like that of Sol Heilo in the more gravelly moments but otherwise as sweet as can be with a nice line in vibrato.
The song has both a 60s and an 80s feel to it, the former in a energetic bass line that is almost bebop and the latter by way of an arrangement that could have been made for the likes of Madge, Cyndi or Cher.
I don’t know who is being told that he doesn’t have to talk to her, only that “waves are crashing” (you can take the girl out of the surf but you can’t take the surf out of the girl) but it doesn’t really matter. It’s a feel good song, you can dance to it and there’s a tune that will lodge in your head all night.
And that’s all that matters…
I have a feeling that more than a few movers and shakers in the business will soon be talking to her.
Find her on:
Website: www.itsrabomusic.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsrabomusic
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsrabomusic
