Earlier this year, former Canadian Alexandra Stewart released her debut EP WÀBÀ. Named after the Algonquin word for light, her set of lush pop songs are exactly that. Fusing old style chanteuse with jazz-inflected indie pop, Stewart’s vibrantly textured songs radiate with warmth and, even despite their occasionally dark lyrics, glisten with a delicate sheen; a radiant lunar glow.
“Pow Wow”, the second track on the EP is perhaps the least night-invoking of WÀBÀ‘s 5 songs. The most upbeat and poppy, “Pow Wow” features Stewart’s heavily descriptive narrative lyricism and binds them to winding but minimal melodies. From its beginning brass stabs to its penultimate glockenspiel – “Pow Wow” is all smooth, blossoming songcraft. Each musical idea comes in succession rather than through layering allowing the track a kind of free wheeling plod. “Pow Wow” unfurls at it’s own pace but one that’s none too slow. Each momentous surge leads to another musical idea with Stewart’s vocals forming the densest part of the track – obscuring an otherwise clear melodic trail at its climactic end.
Alexandra Stewart’s premier EP WÀBÀ is out now. You can listen/download at her Bandcamp here »
